


Not All Treasure is Silver and Gold, Mate

by KookieDoh



Series: Yo Ho, Yo Ho A Pirate's Life For Me [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), Kpop - Fandom
Genre: ATEEZ (Band) Are Pirates, Alternate Universe - Pirate, BAMF Hongjoong, BAMF San, BAMF Seonghwa, Basically BAMF ATEEZ, Captain Kim Hongjoong, Fanart, I mean they are pirates so, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Pirates, Shameless kpop name dropping, Sirens, rated for language, treasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 50,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KookieDoh/pseuds/KookieDoh
Summary: Captain Uloe slid the knife teasingly over Seonghwa’s pale throat. He chuckled darkly, burying his nose into the soft hair behind the siren’s ear. He inhaled, then laughed at Hongjoong’s outraged expression. “Do you want it back?” he whispered, tightening his hold on toned arms. “Does the master long for his pet?”Hongjoong snarled and levelled his pistol at Uloe’s head, grey eyes burning holes into his skull. Despite his internal wrath, his voice came out soft and steady. “Tell me, Captain Uloe, do you know of Davy Jones?”“Every pirate does, boy,” said the other man, uncaring of the whimpering noise Seonghwa made as the knife drew blood. A single trail of black liquid dripped down the sculpted hollow of his throat. Captain Kim did not flinch. Instead, his lips curled into his trademark delicate smirk. “Give him my regards, then.”The pistol went off.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Yo Ho, Yo Ho A Pirate's Life For Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916146
Comments: 302
Kudos: 597





	1. Will you join us?

**Author's Note:**

> Onion ha say o! This is my first kpop fanfiction, and I'm super excited to be posting it today. Just a little disclaimer: I am an ARMY and an ATINY. I listen to loads of other groups, but I am in no way familiar with the members' personalities. I include some of my favourite groups in this fic, but forgive me if I get their personalities wrong. Every group that I include is simply because I want to pay homage to them - it is my way of saying "I LOVE YOUR MUSIC! FIGHTING!", and I am definitely not making fun of the members, or the fans, in any way.
> 
> Ok, now that's out of the way, some info about the fic: this is by no means a short fic. I'm not finished with it yet, but it already has 35k+ words. I will be posting once a day. I usually write the entire fic first and then post it, but I really wanted to put this out there in celebration of ATEEZ's comeback. I'm in love~~~ with the INCEPTION MV (haha see what I did there?), and seeing my boys rocking it inspired me to just say "fuck it, I'm posting it now."
> 
> So. Please enjoy!
> 
> Onwards, fellow ATINY!

Hongjoong Fanart by Scarlett Luna

* * *

“Ready on the guns!” bellowed Captain Kim Hongjoong from behind the helm. Around him, the crew of the _ATEEZ_ was working in the same organised chaos as usual. The sandy-haired captain winced as a volley of musket-shots from the pursuing vessel narrowly missed his head. He gritted his teeth. “Mingi, what’s taking so long?”

His gunner’s voice came from below decks. “It’s not my fault that we didn’t have enough time to stock up on gun powder!” The tall man emerged with his arms full of muskets and pistols, his bright red hair glaringly obvious, even from Hongjoong’s perch. Mingi dumped them on deck for the rest of the crew before heading back into the depths of the ship for more.

“What the actual fuck, Mingi?” yelled San, Honjoong’s quartermaster, the person who took stock of their ship’s supplies. “That was the first thing I told you to buy when we docked! How could you forget the fucking gun powder? We’re fucking pirates for fuck’s sake!” he continued to scream as he fired his pistol from the rigging. There was a loud cry of pain from the ship trailing no less than fifteen meters behind them. San never misses.

“Watch your fucking language, San-ah. Yeosang, help me with the sail!” said Yunho, arm muscles taught as he released one side of the mainsail. On the other side, Yeosang did the same. The rest of the crew quickly followed suit, and within a minute, the _ATEEZ’s_ red and black sails snapped open to their fullest extent, and the great ship began to gain speed, pulling away from their pursuers.

Hongjoong spied his boatswain on the deck below him. “Jongho! Do you have it?” Their youngest crew member nodded the affirmative, patting his breast-pocket reassuringly. “Got it, hyung!” The captain sighed in relief, _‘at least this isn’t all for nothing.’_

Mingi tossed San a freshly loaded pistol. “Speaking of, Jongho is the one who leads landing parties. He should have bought the gun powder first. So it isn’t my fault.”

San caught the gun and fired blindly over his shoulder, his attention still on his protesting crewmate. Despite not even aiming properly, a faint groan of pain sounded anyway. San never misses. “Seriously?” he gaped at Mingi, “Jongho had other shit to do while you and Wooyoung bought supplies, remember? Like, I dunno, _stealing the fucking treasure map?_ ”

As predicted, the usual “Choi San! I said watch your fucking language!” came from Yunho.

“Fuck off, Yunho. I know you’re just defending your dumbass boyfriend, but he really fucked up this time,” responded San, baring his teeth at the tallest member of their crew.

From above, Hongjoong just rolled his eyes. Honestly, the bickering could be so childish sometimes. “San-ah! Less talking, more shooting. Yunho, leave him alone: swearing isn’t the worst of his sins. Mingi, it _was_ your fault, and we all know it, so don’t bother blaming Jongho. But it doesn’t matter right now. Once we lose our tail, we’re heading to another port anyway. We need information.” The crew grumbled their assents, before focusing on increasing their speed.

* * *

Mnet Port was well known for being the largest pirate’s port in the three kingdoms. It was here where pirates came to eat and drink and trade and spend their unlawfully earned coin. But it was also here where tales were spun and secrets were shared. Mnet port was where legends such as the crew of the _EXO,_ the _Ahgase_ , and the _TWICE_. It was at Mnet, where the iconic purple sails of the _Bangtan_ first unfurled. And it was Mnet Port that the _ATEEZ_ was headed for now.

The ship docked at the bustling port three days after the fiasco with the gunpowder. The second they stepped onto the soaked wooden planks, the scents of spices and salt pelted them fully. As one, the seven core members of the crew inhaled deeply, basking in the feeling of being on dry land again. Immediately, the moment was ruined as Wooyoung let out an unholy shriek. “OH MY GOD! LOOK!” The crew spun around to see a wanted poster plastered to a wall nearby. The blonde pirate let out another squeal and sprinted ahead to get a closer look. When the others finally caught up, Wooyoung was in the middle of a rant to no one in particular: “-so cool! This new poster is really flattering for them. Wow - Jimin-ssi looks absolutely amazing! Should I style my hair like his, San? The crew of the _Bangtan_ are just so-”

“Woo! Don’t run off like that! You could have been hurt!” scolded San, wrapping a possessive hand around his boyfriend’s wrist. Wooyoung smiled blithely at him, “yes, yes. But Sannie look! It’s the _Bangtan_!” San just sighed exasperatedly but ruffled the younger’s blonde locks affectionately. Yeosang pretended to retch loudly.

Hongjoong allowed a tiny smile at their antics, then sobered up quickly. “That’s enough. We have to get moving. Time is of the essence, men.”

They walked along the crowded thoroughfares, dodging past haggling merchants and pleading beggars. As they passed the pubs, they skirted away from rowdy drunks (despite it still being early afternoon) and waved away flirting scantily-clad barmaids. Hongjoong led them down brightly lit streets and mouldy alleyways until they came to the Blackpink Tavern _._

Throwing open the squeaky doors, the captain waved a hand bedecked in sliver rings at the owners of the bar: four beautiful sisters named Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé. Jisoo smiled in return and gestured to the furthest corner, where five men were lounging. Hongjoong nodded in thanks and made a bee-line towards the group.

As they approached, the tallest man who was leaning against the wall stood straight. A handsome face peeked out from under a wide hat. When he recognised the oncoming men, his face split into a toothy smile, dimples appearing in his cheeks. “Hongjoong-hyung!” he called out.

The other nodded back. “Soobin, my friend. It’s been a while.”

While the crews of the _ATEEZ_ and the _MOA_ greeted each other, Hongjoong scanned the surrounding area with piercing grey eyes. A laugh sounded from behind him. “What do you take me for, hyung? Of course, I already looked for eavesdroppers.” The shorter man just smirked and continued his search. “It doesn’t hurt to double-check, Soobin-ah.”

The large group squished in together, some standing around as there were a limited number of seats. Wooyoung and Yeosang, in particular, were sandwiched between Yeonjun and Taehyun. Yunho spoke up eagerly: “So how are you guys? It must be difficult getting used to being your own crew.”

The crew of the _MOA_ had originally worked briefly on the _Bangtan_ , alongside Wooyoung and Yeosang. However, after a year of being a part of their crew, Yeosang had decided it was time for something new, and Wooyoung had followed his friend. They ended up joining the beginnings of what would become the crew of the _ATEEZ._ A few months later, they heard that Soobin, Yeonjun, Taehyun, Beomgyu and Hueningkai had also left to start their own crew.

Beomgyu laughed out loud. “It’s been an interesting experience that’s for sure. But we’re glad that the _Bangtan_ guys have our back if we’re ever in a tight spot.” His crewmates nodded in agreement. Captain Soobin flashed his dimples once more, “It’s as ‘Gyu said. But this isn’t why you wanted us to meet, is it?” he said, turning warm brown eyes on the oldest at the table. Hongjoong shook his head. “No, it isn’t. We need your help.”

“What do you mean?” asked Hueningkai brightly, causing the older pirates to coo at him.

Instead of answering verbally, Hongjoong just gestured at Jongho. The youngest of the _ATEEZ_ crew withdrew a yellowed rolled-up piece of parchment from the inside of his coat. He spread it out on the table before them.

“Do you know what this is?” said Hongjoong lowly. Yeonjun narrowed his eyes. “That’s - it can’t be!” His mouth dropped open in shock. Taehyun spoke up quickly, “Hyung? What is it?”

“It’s the map to the Idol’s Eye,” whispered Yeonjun. Soobin’s eyes widened. “The Idol’s Eye? How did you get this?”

Hongjoong shrugged. “Stole it. What else. Anyway, we know that we need a siren to lead us to the treasure. The map makes absolutely no sense otherwise. And,” he levelled a look meaningfully at the other captain. “We know you guys came across a group of them a couple of weeks ago.”

Silence fell at the table. Soobin blinked once, twice, three times, then sighed and said, “aye, we did. We barely escaped with our lives. There were ten, maybe twenty of them. And it was during a full moon too.” The entire table shivered at the thought of twenty sirens, emboldened by the power of the full moon; their songs a hundred times more alluring and their beauty even more captivating than usual. Soobin continued, “if it wasn’t for Kai blowing up a barrel of gunpowder to scare them off, we might be nothing but a pile of bones on the ocean floor by now.” Hongjoong looked appraisingly at the youngest. “That was a clever thing to do, lad. But do you happen to know where we can find one?” he asked, “Without a siren, the map is useless.”

Yeonjun tapped his chin thoughtfully. “We were sailing past Sunmi’s cove when we came across them. We heard screeching and screaming, almost as if they were fighting something. But when I looked, I couldn’t see anything else apart from the sirens. The sounds that I heard were all the same, too.”

“That means that either you just didn’t spot whatever they were struggling against, or they were fighting one of their own,” mused Jongho.

The captain of the _ATEEZ_ frowned. “I guess that’s our best bet then.” He rolled up the map and made to tuck it away in his jacket, but a deft hand caught his wrist. Soobin’s teeth shone in the candlelight. “Now what do you think you’re doing, hyung?” Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed. “I’m taking my map,” he ground out from behind his teeth. The two captains held their gaze before the taller released his grip on Hongjoong’s wrist, bunny-like smile back in place. “Just kidding! But seriously. What do we get in return?”

And so was the way of pirates. San spoke up. “When we stole the map, we snagged a bunch of nice paintings as well. You interested?”

“Depends,” said Taehyun, “will we get any money off of them?”

San grinned. “Well, if no one likes the paintings, the fancy golden frames might sell.”

“It’s a deal.” Soobin stuck out his hand to Hongjoong. They clasped forearms tightly. “Pleasure doing business with you, Soobin-ah.”

* * *

Hongjoong Concept Art by Scarlett Luna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: So I've received some comments about how y'all can't see the fanart, so here's Scarlett Luna's insta and tumblr instead:  
> 
> 
> [Tumblr](https://mychemicalwaffle.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Insta](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.instagram.com/my_chemical_waffle/?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwi43sSdwN3rAhWLv54KHbp4AmEQFjAAegQIDBAC&usg=AOvVaw1GoIWlXd6AsfG2BQqV2fy2)


	2. Let’s go hunting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thanks so much for the kudos! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!
> 
> Here's a list of the boys and their roles:  
> Hongjoong - captain  
> Seonghwa - siren  
> San - quartermaster  
> Wooyoung - surgeon/lookout  
> Yunho - carpenter/cooper  
> Mingi - gunner  
> Yeosang - navigator  
> Jungho - boatswain
> 
> In case you're unsure of what each role does, here's a website that explains it:  
> [Pirate roles](https://www.thoughtco.com/positions-duties-on-a-pirate-ship-2136230)

The next morning found Hongjoong asleep in his captain’s quarters when Wooyoung’s shout of “LAND HO!” jolted him from his slumber. He dressed quickly and raced outside, calling out “prepare to weigh anchor! Ready the capstan!” When he made his way to the main deck, Wooyoung had already managed to climb down from the crow’s nest and was preparing the longboat with Yunho’s help.

He stood on the deck of his ship, gazing at the island that lay ahead. There, he would find the key to the treasure. He inhaled the scent of the salty sea slowly, savouring the way his lungs filled with the clean, brisk air. Around him, the ocean sparkled a shade darker than the sky above them, the sun shining joyous and bright in its blue home.

“Hey. Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help me carry this shit?”

The sandy-haired captain spun on his heel to see San’s steely gaze. Hongjoong eyed his quartermaster’s brown-silver hair: it was in its signature side braid - Wooyoung enjoyed playing with his boyfriend’s hair. A loud metallic noise drew Hongjoong’s attention to what San was carrying: it was an armful of heavy chains that clinked and jangled with every step.

Hongjoong nodded briskly and helped to carry the chains over to the longboat. They were just deploying one, as only the captain, Mingi, Jongho and Yunho were going to the island. San, as second in command, would be in charge while Hongjoong was gone.

Once everything was ready, the four of them settled into the boat as Wooyoung, Yeosang, San and some other crew members helped to lower the boat into the water.

“Captain! If you don’t return by sunrise tomorrow, I’m just going to assume you were eaten by the siren, okay?” called San.

Hongjoong didn’t bother to reply verbally, merely raising his middle finger in response. They began rowing to shore on the wave of San’s laughter.

* * *

Sunmi’s Cove wasn’t particularly big. The entire island’s perimeter was about four kilometres long, and the cove itself was only a couple hundred metres long, so it would be a relatively quick search. Hongjoong was glad for this: he didn’t want to spend any longer than he had to in known siren territory. Beside him, Jongho seemed just as determined to finish this quickly - he had his small ornate telescope (a gift from Yeosang,) in one hand, and he was scanning the cove carefully. Mingi and Yunho continued to row smoothly through the shallows until they reached the shore. Hongjoong lept out of the boat quickly and turned to his boatswain. Jongho shook his head: “I didn’t see anything.”

Hongjoong sighed. It seemed that this search would be slightly more complicated than he thought. “Alright, men, wax in ears. Keep quiet, we don’t want to alert it. Stay close; don’t get lost. We won’t be able to hear you if you wander off.” When he received three nods, he took out some ready-made lumps of wax and stuffed them in his ears. He saw his crewmates do the same. Once they were sure that they couldn’t hear anything, Hongjoong drew his sword and started making his way along the beach.

It was safe to assume that a siren would stay in the water. Although it was common knowledge that sirens could turn into humans when they had to, it was clear that the creatures preferred the sea to the land. Hongjoong kept this in mind when he scanned the sandy shore.

They walked for hours. The circled the entire island twice and still, they found nothing. Once they had made their way back to the longboat for a second time, Hongjoong signalled for a break. Gratefully, they pulled out the wax from their ears and collapsed bonelessly against the longboat.

“Cap’n?” asked Mingi, his voice slurring slightly with a combination of heat, exhaustion, thirst and hunger, “can we have a lunch break now?” By this point, the sun was well past noon, and Hongjoong hadn’t noticed. Slightly guilty, the captain pulled out the food and rum they had brought along and distributed it equally amongst them. Digging into their late lunch, Hongjoong pondered what to do.

There were no sirens around the beach. Gazing into the crystal clear waters also didn’t reveal anything. It was like there were no sirens at all!

Just when Hongjoong was considering heading back to the  _ ATEEZ _ to come up with a new plan, something captured his attention. Immediately he dropped his food and raised his sword, he felt more than heard the others do the same.

“Hyung?” whispered Jongho. He was silenced by Hongjoong’s raised hand. “Quiet. I heard something.”

The four of them strained their ears. Then-

“I hear it,” hissed Yunho, “it came from over there.” He pointed at the end of the beach.

‘It’ was a soft melody floating on the wind. A sweet but mournful tune was drifting towards them. The pirates crept forward slowly, edging towards what appeared to be an ordinary rock formation, a little ways off from the sandy shore. The sun was lowering in the sky, burnishing the ocean a glorious honey-gold colour.

Hongjoong inspected the rock formation closer: from far away, nothing seemed off about it at all, but then a flash of movement came from the base of the rocks. His eyes widened.

At the bottom of the rocks, half-submerged by the water was what appeared to be a man. His arms were spread apart and chained, but the ropes were made of a strong kind of seagrass: the position couldn’t have been comfortable, stretched out like that, with nothing but rocks and sand against his bare skin. The same kind of seagrass was wrapped around the man’s head like a blindfold.

_ No, _ corrected Hongjoong mentally,  _ not a man. A siren. _

For he could not be anything but a siren: no man’s skin was that translucent; no man’s hair was that sublime after being drenched in seawater for who knows how long; no man’s lips were that red and lush;  _ no man had a red fish’s tail instead of legs. _

A thick and muscular tail was seamlessly fused to the siren’s hips, stretching almost the length of Yunho’s height alone. There was a smattering of scales over its abdomen that heralded the transition. The magnificent fins were almost transparent, and in the water, they were practically invisible, which surprised Hongjoong, due to the deep vermillion colour of the scales on the tail. 

The pirate assumed they had missed the siren during their search due to the tide and the fact that the rocks seemed innocuous enough, but it wasn’t until they heard the singing that they noticed the creature chained at the base of the stone.

At the reminder of the singing, Hongjoong alerted the others and replaced his wax earplugs, making sure the others had done the same. The siren was still unaware of them, the blindfold keeping the creature oblivious of its surroundings.

As one, the pirates moved forward. The splashing of their boots in the shallows caused the creature to shut its mouth with a snap. It whipped its head blindly from side to side, baring its sharp needle-like teeth at them, no doubt hissing and spitting in fear. Hongjoong swallowed down the smallest hint of pity and signalled for Mingi and Yunho to take one side of the seagrass chains, and himself and Jongho on the other (the younger’s herculean strength equalled out both sides). On his mark, they sliced through the bonds and pulled the siren’s arms even further apart to stop it from gaining any leverage. However, Hongjoong doubted it could fight back at all: the creature was obviously weak and disoriented - it must have been left out there for ages.

Together, they dragged the thrashing siren onto the beach, where Yunho sprinted for the net left at the longboat. The siren, sensing one side weakening, yanked at the rope that Mingi was holding onto, causing the gunner to yelp and stumble forward. Hongjoong barked out an instinctive “Mingi! Stand fast!” despite knowing that his crewmember couldn’t hear him. The siren seemed to freeze when he heard Hongjoong’s voice, and in its distraction, Yunho managed to cast the net over it, trapping it completely.

It continues to struggle in its bindings, but it was clear that the siren wasn’t going anywhere. It took all four of them to lift it over to the longboat, as Hongjoong refused to just drag it over the sharp rocks that could be found on the beach. He was a pirate, but he wasn’t heartless.

They carried the creature over to the longboat and placed it roughly inside. They loaded the remains of their lunch into the dingy and Mingi and Jongho shoved off the sandy shore. Yunho snatched up the chains from the bottom of the boat and chained up the siren’s hands and tail, then he swiftly placed a gag in the creature’s mouth. Meanwhile, Hongjoong brought out his signalling mirror and flashed it three times towards the  _ ATEEZ _ , which was moored a little ways away. Three answering flashes were seen: San had gotten the message. They would have started preparing for their arrival.

As the other three settled down to row back to the boat, Hongjoong used the time to study the siren: soft black hair that stuck up in endearing yet attractive spikes, pale unmarked skin as snowy as the sand on the beach, full red lips rubbed raw by the gag, toned sculpted abdomen and chest, and of course, the tail, which was so long, it easily stretched past the length of the boat, so that the very tips of the fins trailed in the water. Hongjoong was reluctant to admit that this creature - this monster that attacks unsuspecting sailors - was  _ beautiful. _ A tap on his shoulder had him turning. Mingi shot him a smirk and winked down at the bound siren. Hongjoong glared back before ignoring his firey haired gunner and returning his attention to the siren. He noticed the seagrass blindfold and ropes were still tied tightly. He reached down and made to cut away the bonds around the siren’s left wrist.

At the unexpected touch, the creature flinched violently. Unthinking, Hongjoong spoke. “Be still!” Again, oddly enough, the siren stopped resisting and allowed the pirate captain to remove the bonds around its wrists. Wanting to test his theory, Hongjoong decided to warn it about removing its blindfold: “I’m going to take off your blindfold now, okay?” Once more, the siren did not struggle. Carefully, Hongjoong slid his long, slim fingers under the slimy weeds and against the siren’s head. Apart from a tiny jump, it made no move to resist. Unable to help himself, the pirate stroked the soft hair, once, twice, before snapping himself out of it and quickly removing the blindfold.

Bewildered blue-brown eyes locked onto Hongjoong’s grey ones. The pirate captain gasped slightly. The siren’s eyes shone so brightly, even eclipsing the sunlight around them, but unlike looking at the sun, gazing into those crystalline depths didn’t hurt. Instead, Hongjoong felt like he could read every single one of the siren’s emotions in them: hurt, fear, anger, loneliness, hope… 

Hongjoong blinked hurriedly. Why would it have  _ hope _ ? He shook his head and refused to acknowledge the piercing stare of the siren from below him. Instead, he focused on the  _ ATEEZ _ , which grew closer and closer every second.

* * *

The second the creature was hauled over the side of the  _ ATEEZ _ and onto the deck, the siren arched off the ground with a gasp. Its scarlet tail began to spasm and tremor. To the pirates’ fascination, they watched as the creature’s tail began to shrink, and then split, forming two muscular legs, with a smattering of red scales on its calves and thighs. Hongjoong immediately shed his long maroon coat and covered the siren’s body with it. He glanced up at San wordlessly, who nodded and ran to the crew’s quarters. There was no use communicating aloud, as everyone onboard made sure to seal their ears with wax to avoid the siren’s song.

Without hesitation, Hongjoong bundled up the siren, ignoring its flinching, and scooped it up in his arms. The expression on its face was almost  _ shocked _ . The pirate let out a huff of breath.  _ Should I be offended that a siren thinks so little of my arm strength? _ Discarding the thought, the captain walked briskly down to the hold, where San was waiting, holding the door to the only cell open with one hand, while a spare shirt and pants were clutched in the other. Once inside the cell, Hongjoong pointed clearly at San who stood a little ways away, his pistol trained on the siren. “I’m going to unlock your chains and help you dress. If you make any sudden moves, my companion will not hesitate to shoot. And San never misses.” He waited for a sign that the siren understood. Luminous eyes widened at the sight of the weapon and it dipped its head in agreement. Hongjoong moved to unlock the chains and tossed them outside the cell. He adverted his eyes and blindly helped the creature clothe itself, before turning back to face it once it was finished.

_ Thank you _ , those eyes seemed to say. Hoongjoong said nothing in return. He merely inclined his head slightly before standing and closing the cell door behind him. “You will stay here for now. In that corner, there is a bucket of seawater if you need it for whatever reason. Food will be delivered twice a day. A guard will be stationed here at all times. Be warned: they cannot hear you, and they are under strict instructions not to approach the cell too closely. You are mine now, siren. I suggest you make yourself comfortable.” And with that, Hongjoong left San with the siren whose eyes seemed to light up the darkened room like a beacon.


	3. Torch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello there! Thanks again for the kudos and comments: I smile every time I get a notification. Here's the next chapter for y'all.

Seonghwa Fanart by Scarlett Luna

* * *

The tension on the ship grew steadily as the silence stretched on. The crew spent two days in silence. The wax earplugs stayed in at all times, lest the siren seek to enthral them. Wooyoung, in particular, was getting angsty about staying silent. Hongjoong could sense the restless energy bubbling up inside him. And in all honesty, he was tired, too. Leaving the siren to stew seemed all well and good three days ago, but now, they needed to get moving: there were rumours of a rival crew also on the hunt for the Idol’s Eye. It wouldn’t be long until they know that the _ATEEZ_ has both the map and a siren to boot.

Hongjoong rolled his shoulders. He beckoned San over. They conversed in facial expressions and gestures only, as speaking was out of the question. Luckily, Captain Kim and his quartermaster have known each other for years - words were unnecessary.

The captain tilted his head towards the stairway to the hold. _What are we going to do about it?_

San raised his eyebrow and shrugged. _How should I know? You’re the captain._

Hongjoong sighed. _Aye, but I don’t know what to do._

The taller man tapped his lips and placed a firm hand on his pistol. _You could try speaking to it. I’ve got your back._

The older paused. He knew San would take care of him. He nodded. _Fine. Thanks, San-ah._

San smirked. _Better you than me._

The captain of the _ATEEZ_ spun on his heel and headed into the depths of the ship. Yeosang was on duty: he leaned against a barrel, idly picking his fingernails with one of his wicked throwing knives (a gift from Jongho). The siren was clutching the bucket of seawater to its chest like a child with his stuffed toy. It watched as Yeosang tossed his knives into the wall of the hold. By the time Hongjoong and San made themselves known, there were three knives impaled in the wooden wall. The captain raised his eyebrow at the treatment of his ship. Yeosang just plucked his knives out of the wall and made his way past San.

Now it was just the three of them. Hongjoong stepped forward.

He looked at the siren, who stared back. The only movement in the room was the slight swishing of the water in the bucket due to the rocking of the ship. Hongjoong walked up to the bars of the cage, still locked in his staring contest with the creature. Behind him, San stepped out of the room but left the door open, so he could see Hongjoong and the siren at all times.

The long-haired pirate slowly reached up and removed his wax earplugs. The siren’s eyes widened with disbelief. Hongjoong tried to smile reassuringly, but kindness and compassion have long since been discarded, replaced by sarcasm, satire and stoicism. But the siren didn’t seem too put off by his awkward smile. Instead, it’s clutching grip on the bucket of water relaxed slightly. It tilted its head at him.

“My name is Hongjoong. I am the captain of this ship,” he said. The siren blinked. He continued, “do you have a name?”

At the question, the siren nodded its head, then shook it. Hongjoong considered the response: “You have one, but maybe a human can’t say it?” The siren nodded quickly. It opened its mouth made a strange screeching noise, then it pointed to itself. Hongjoong rubbed his ears; spending such a long time in silence only to be greeted with such a jarring sound was extremely grating. The siren shot him a look that could have been described as _guilty_.

Hongjoong blinked. “Alright then. I’ll give you a human name then.” The siren’s pretty mouth dropped open out of pure shock. Numbly, it nodded its head. In the dim lighting of the torches, the siren’s eyes glowed like molten gold, ringed by blue-brown irises. The pirate could get lost in those torch-like eyes.

“Seonghwa,” he whispered. “I’ll call you Seonghwa.”

The siren - no, _Seonghwa_ \- tilted his head. He seemed to consider his new name carefully. The moment stretched on, and Hongjoong fidgeted - which was so unlike him: usually, he was unflappable and stone-faced; but here, a mere siren had butterflies fluttering in his stomach and warmth flushing his cheeks. _What’s wrong with me,_ he thought, _why am I reacting like this?_

His inner monologue was cut off by Seonghwa’s toothy smile. _I could have sworn his teeth were sharper before…_

He shook off the thought. The captain forced down that odd bubbling sensation in his chest and put on what Mingi affectionately called ‘The Glare’, capital letters implied. Apparently, when Hongjoong used The Glare, it made the recipient want to shit their pants out of fear. He found that The Glare worked wonders for cutting deals that benefitted him tremendously.

Seonghwa, understandably, looked visibly terrified at the abrupt shift in the atmosphere. Captain Kim stepped forward and leaned against the bars of the cell. His voice, slow and ominous, hissed out in the enclosed space: “Now. I’m going to offer you a deal. You’re going to consider it, and then you’re going to accept it.” Seonghwa let out a shaky nod. “You’re going to lead us to a treasure. In return, you’ll get an equal share of it like the rest of the crew. But the main jewel is mine. Understand?”

The siren visibly digested the information and an unreadable look flashed over his beautiful face. There was a pause, then Seonghwa made a soft agreeing noise. Louder, he made the same noise, nodding for good measure. Smirking, the captain stuck his hand through the bars of the cell for Seonghwa to shake. The siren stared at the hand for a moment, then edged forward and tentatively shook it.

Suddenly, Hongjoong’s vision swam sickeningly. His head buzzed with white noise. Trembling, the pirate lifted his head. Seonghwa’s glowing golden pupils seemed to draw him in until Hongjoong was left drowning in their depths. Belatedly, he realised that Seonghwa was singing softly - too softly for him to immediately pick up. _Shit. Fuck! Fucking motherfucking fuck!_

“Captain?”

 _San-ah!_ Hongjoong tried to speak, but his tongue sat thick and heavy in his mouth. He watched as if in slow-motion as his arm drew his knife from its scabbard and placed the tip of the blade against his own throat. Hongjoong’s other hand moved to his belt, where the key to the cell hung.

San rushed into the room, his pistol in a white-knuckled grip. “Hyung! What are you doing?!”

“Don’t move!” he cried. The knife scraped against the delicate skin of his throat. San couldn’t hear him, but the alarm in Hongjoong’s eyes must have communicated the message just as clearly. The quartermaster lowered his gun.

Slowly, Hongjoong felt himself stepping forward and unlocking the door. He could feel Seonghwa move directly behind him, using the captain as a human shield. His singing grew louder and more complex. His song was accompanied by a great rush of emotion: Hongjoong could hear Seonghwa’s guilt, his fear, his desperation. The siren just wanted to be free - but the captain had come too far to turn back now. His mind rebelled against his uncooperative body, to no avail. The siren’s song had taken hold of him. He was a bystander in his own body.

The song took on a harder edge. _Listen to me,_ it seemed to say, _give up, give in. Let me take control._

 _No,_ protested Hongjoong, _let me go! I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll gut you like a fish and spread your entrails all over my deck, see if I don’t!_

He felt Seonghwa flinch against him. Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed. _So you can hear me. There’s no way off this ship. My crew are immune to your song: they’ll stop you._ Seonghwa forced him to walk forward. San, understanding the situation completely, raced upstairs to warn the crew. Meanwhile, Hongjoong took a mechanical step forward. Then another. And another. He started to climb the stairs out of the brig, the siren tucked against his back.

_Do you think you can escape? Do you think you can defeat all fourteen crewmembers? When we get up there, every single one of them is going to be aiming for you. I didn’t give them an order not to shoot to kill - after all, we can always find another siren._

Seonghwa’s steps faltered, before urging Hongjoong onwards. They stepped onto the deck only to face the exact situation the pirate had described: every single crew member had their weapon trained on them.

In response, Seonghwa’s voice took on an otherworldly quality. His voice seemed to triple until it was almost as if he was harmonising with himself. Hongjoong unwillingly raised the knife higher until the very tip of the blade was pressed directly against his jugular. The crew held their positions.

Without warning, a pistol shot cracked through the air. Seonghwa’s song cut off abruptly only to be replaced with a shrill screech. Hongjoong felt the siren stumble backwards. In the same moment, Yunho darted forward and yanked him away from the siren, and roughly shoved two wax earplugs into his ears. The sound of Seonghwa’s wailing became muffled immediately.

Spinning, Hongjoong stared at the creature: Seonghwa was being held down by Jongho, Yeosang and Mingi, but he looked uninjured. The captain noticed a bullet hole in Seonghwa’s loose shirt: the shot was close enough to rattle him, but not enough to cause him harm. The screeching must have been from shock. Hongjoong studied the hole closer - two inches to the right, and the siren would have been bleeding out on his deck. Only one person was that accurate with a shot. Sure enough, San’s pistol was still smoking slightly. San never misses.

Captain Kim straightened himself up and strode over to the struggling siren. Kneeling, he caught Seonghwa’s jaw in his hand and forced the creature to look him in the eye. Seonghwa stared up at him, his face shifting between beauty and beast: teeth sharpened and blunted; eyes glowed and dimmed; skin flushed red with anger then red with delicate scales around the edges of his face. Hongjoong stared impassively right back. He nodded at his men, who hauled the siren kicking and screaming back into the brig.

Hongjoong was a fool for removing the wax. Next time, he would not make the same mistake. His hand tightened on the pommel of his sword. No, next time, he would approach things… differently.

* * *

Seonghwa Concept Art by Scarlett Luna


	4. The captain and his crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter today, mostly exposition. Sorry about that, but I think y'all will like what I have lined up for tomorrow.
> 
> I've just been listening to ATEEZ'S new album and I'm OBSESSED. I cry every time I listen to One Day At A Time: the fact that they made a song entirely in English for us international Atinys 🥺🥺, God I love these boys so much!
> 
> Thanks for all of your support, kudos and comments!

In comparison to some other pirate crews out there, the ATEEZ’s was relatively young. They had only been together for a couple of years, but already they have established themselves as ruthless buccaneers who are not to be underestimated or trifled with. Normally, most crews would achieve this by slaughtering countless innocents, but Hongjoong was a pirate captain with a some-what working moral compass, so he usually tried to avoid killing. 

Of course, Hongjoong has killed before. Every pirate has. But every life he took was either a mercy killing or for the safety of his crew. The first life he had ever taken was in defence of San’s life. And the next was for Mingi. And the next was for Jongho. And the next was for Yeosang. And for Wooyoung. And for Yunho. And for the rest of his crew.

He was by no means an innocent man. No - Hongjoong was a scoundrel and a villain. But he was the lesser of many evils.

Usually, his go-to method of getting what he wants is to strike a deal. But in the rare case it doesn’t work, Hongjoong had other ways of getting what he wanted.

* * *

Jongho, Mingi and Yeosang hauled the thrashing creature down the stairs and threw him unceremoniously back into the cell. The siren landed in a heap, before scrambling back onto his false legs and hissing at the three pirates.

In sync, Jongho and Mingi spang forward and slammed their hands against the bars of the cage, and Seonghwa shrank back in shock and fear, the metallic clang echoing in the small space. Suddenly, the cell door swung open and Yeosang darted forward. The shortest man in the room grabbed the siren’s throat in his hand and pinned him to the wall of the ship, drew his knife and pointed it at the siren’s left eye. Seonghwa yowled at the harsh treatment and tilted his head back to avoid the knife. He stared at the willowy man before him.

Now, Yeosang wasn’t very physically intimidating, not like Yunho or Mingi, and as the ship’s navigator, he didn’t do as much physical activity as the others. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t know how to handle himself in a fight. In fact, Kang Yeosang was deadly in a fight: his throwing knives made him adept at fighting long-distances, but the short nature of the blade meant that he was also talented at close combat.

This made the navigator one of the most dangerous men on the ship. And Seonghwa could see that in his hazel eyes. Yeosang smirked and adjusted his knife minutely. The siren tracked the movement with wide golden orbs.

“You tried to hurt our captain.”

Seonghwa twitched at the ominous tone. “The crew of the ATEEZ do not take that kind of thing lightly.” Yeosang continued. “If you ever try to hurt him again…” the knife moved down to the hole in Seonghwa’s borrowed shirt. The tip of the blade slipped into the hole and scraped over the siren’s skin. Seonghwa flinched as he felt the metal draw a line of blood. Yeosang just stared unblinkingly at him. The siren started to thrash as the metal continued to dig into his side. Black liquid began to soak through his thin white shirt.

“If you hurt my family again, I’ll finish what Sannie started.”

Then the navigator was standing and walking out of the brig. Jongho locked the door behind him and followed the smaller man out. Mingi drew his cutlass and started to sharpen it in the corner. The harsh scraping noise of metal being sharpened grated on Seonghwa’s inhuman hearing. Mingi ignored him steadfastly. 

The siren clutched at his tender side. He inspected it cautiously: it wasn’t a particularly deep wound, but on its own, it would take about two days to fully heal. Luckily, Seonghwa didn’t need to wait that long. He started to sing.

A sweet, warm melody sounded in the cell. The torn skin glowed the same colour as his eyes and slowly, the wound began to stitch itself together. A few moments later, the only reminder of Yeosang’s threat was a splatter of black ink-like blood.

“Wow. Handy trick.”

The siren’s head snapped up at the sound of a new voice: in the doorway, was Wooyoung. The blonde was carrying a box in his arms. Seonghwa’s powerful nose caught the scent of herbs and metal. Medical supplies?

Mingi laughed at the siren’s confused expression. “Wooyoung is our ship’s surgeon. Yeosangie must have asked him to check up on you,” explained the red-haired pirate.

Seonghwa tilted his head in confusion. Wooyoung laughed shrilly, “Despite what you must think, we’re not savages. We get that you were just trying to go home. But Yeosang is right: if you hurt one of us, we’ll kill you before you can even blink.”

The creature made a low trilling noise and edged closer to the bars of the cell. He extended his hand curiously towards the box the Wooyoung was carrying. The surgeon smiled and sat on the floor, just out of hands reach, and opened the box. An overwhelming surge of smells assaulted Seonghwa’s sensitive nose. The siren snorted in surprise and fell back, rubbing his nose - the ocean never had these kinds of smells. They were so overpowering that Seonghwa’s eyes began to water. Wooyoung studied his reaction interestedly.

“Your sense of smell is enhanced. I can smell these herbs too, but obviously not to the extent you do.” He closed the box. Seonghwa relaxed as the pungent smell retreated slightly. “Are your other senses just as heightened?” asked the pirate curiously. Seonghwa nodded a little. He tapped his ears, gestured to his eyes and waved his fingers. Wooyoung narrowed his eyes and tried to make sense of the siren’s signs. “Your eyesight, hearing and your sense of touch are heightened? What about taste?” Seonghwa just shrugged. He clasped his hands together and wiggled them, like a fish in the water. He mimed eating it, gulping and swallowing immediately.

Wooyoung’s eyes widened. “You eat your food whole?! That’s so cool! What about the bones?” Seonghwa just shrugged again.

This time, it was Mingi who spoke up. Evidently, the gunner managed to follow their conversation, despite not being able to hear anything. “How can you understand us? It’s not like you hear humans talking all the time under the sea.”

Seonghwa made the same fish motion as before and tapped his ear. Then he placed his straightened palm on the crown of his head, like a shark’s fin. He tapped his ear again. He mimed a couple of other animals and tapped his ear every time. Then he gestured to the pirates and made the same tapping motion on his ear.

“You can understand all animals? Even humans?” Seonghwa nodded. “Cool…” chorused the pirates. Seonghwa smiled at their awed expressions. It seems that not all of the pirates on this ship were intent on killing him.

Speaking of… the door of the room opened to reveal the captain and the quartermaster. Seonghwa shrunk back and scrambled into the furthest corner of the cage at the sight of San. The quartermaster stared at Wooyoung, a meter away from where Seonghwa was sitting, looking relaxed and off-guard. The brown-grey haired pirate strode forward and pulled his boyfriend possessively to his chest. He looked Wooyoung over urgently and only relaxed slightly when he realised that the younger was unharmed. He spun around and glared at the siren, who could understand the message in his piercing steel eyes perfectly: he is mine. Do not touch Wooyoung.

Seonghwa dipped his head minutely in submission. Hongjoong stepped forward. The captain nodded his head at the door, and Wooyoung and Mingi made their way past him, the blonde pressing a fleeting kiss on San’s lips before darting past his captain and up the stairs after Mingi.

Now, the siren was left alone with the man he had possessed and the man who had shot at him. Shivering, Seonghwa studied them to determine who would be most likely to attack first: Hongjoong’s face revealed nothing, and San wore a callous frown.

Before Seonghwa could continue his train of thought, Hongjoong sat where Wooyoung had just vacated. He crossed his legs smoothly below him, removed his large feathered hat and placed it fluidly on the ground beside him. San took up Mingi’s old post and tapped his pistol against his leg warningly.

“Now,” said Hongjoong. “Let’s get down to business.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love badass Yeosangie. He's the real savage.


	5. Sharpshooter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I hope you're having a great day! A much longer chapter today in order to make up for the shorter one yesterday. Thanks for all the love and support! Be warned: there is some mention of blood and injury, but that's kind of expected in a pirates fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

Hongjoong sat there on the floor of his ship and watched as Seonghwa gulped visibly. The siren was trembling slightly, his fingers fidgeting with the hole in his shirt. He kept glancing anxiously behind Hongjoong. The captain knew that San was glaring at the siren heatedly: the quartermaster had been on edge ever since Seonghwa had tried to escape earlier and seeing Wooyoung looking so relaxed in the presence of the creature had unnerved him. Hongjoong ignored the tension in a room and cleared his throat pointedly. Seonghwa’s luminescent eyes darted back to his face.

“Thanks to your previous escape attempt, you will no longer be awarded a share of the treasure. Now, I’m going to  _ make _ you help us.” Hongjoong took pleasure in the way Seonghwa shivered fearfully.

“But first,” he continued, “I’m going to tell you a little story.”

The siren blinked in shock. Hongjoong smirked. “What? Did you think we would torture you?”

Seonghwa nodded dumbly. The captain let out an inelegant snort and rolled his eyes. “While some of my crew are all for it-” another frightened look at San, who had started to polish his pistol rather menacingly, “-I don’t personally like getting my hands dirty. So I opted to just speak to you. Maybe you’ll choose to help us.” 

Hongjoong rolled his shoulders. “Well. I imagine living in the sea means you’re pretty clueless about what goes on in the city. Let me tell you, poverty and sickness and dirt are more common than fleas on a dog…”

* * *

Bright sunlight shone down on the city of Mixnine, but the alleyways were cast in dark shadows. On the surface, the city was bright and lively, but if you looked deeper, you would find a cesspit of grime and filth. 

Harsh panting filled the air, as a wisp of a teen darted desperately down a narrow alley.

Behind the boy, a loud snarling could be heard, along with the enraged shouts of the men in hot pursuit. The sound of claws skittering along smooth stones contrasted with the curses and the heavy breathing. The teen gasped as he saw the four men round the corner, led by a barking beast of a dog, barely restrained by the leather leash the man in the lead had attached to its collar. “There he is! Get the bastard, Bosco!”

The dog let out a roar as his leash was unclipped. The animal raced forward and the boy’s desperate pace increased impossibly as he felt the dog nip at his heels. Despite the adrenaline rushing through his body, the skinny teen couldn’t run forever.

An agonised scream sounded through the alley as the dog closed its powerful jaws over the boy’s left calf. The teen felt his flesh tear and blood spurt out as teeth ripped through the muscle and skin. He collapsed to the ground, kicking futilely at the animal’s face, backing hurriedly into a shadowy corner. There was a triumphant shout from the men. “Yes, Bosco! Tear him to pieces. That’s what the fucker gets for trying to pickpocket me.”

The four men strode leisurely forward as the dog pinned down the boy’s shoulders with its strong front paws, snarling in the terrified child’s face. “You little son of a bitch,” said the man in the lead, “you thought you could get away from me?” His cronies laughed as the boy whimpered when his injured leg was kicked harshly. “Stupid fucker.” The man spat on the teen’s face. “I should kill you where you stand.”

“Why don’t you?” came the strained response. “I ain’t afraid of you.”

“You should be.” The man raised his dagger above his head.

Blood arched through the air. A shocked bellow of pain sounded through the air as one of the cronies clutched at a ragged hole in his upper arm. Another pistol shot cracked in the alleyway and a second man went down with a neat bullet to the kneecap. The dog leapt off the boy on the floor and snarled at the figure cloaked in shadows. It ran towards the shooter but they simply fired an impossibly accurate shot, grazing the dog’s ear, with the smallest of scratches. Instead, the bullet hit the third man in the foot. Both the injured man and the dog howled. The animal fled out of the alleyway, its frightened whimpers echoing behind it. Now, only the leader was left standing.

“Come out, you fish-bellied coward!” he screamed, brandishing his knife. Behind him, the boy dragged himself down the alley and into a deserted street. He scrambled for cover under an abandoned cart. The teen pulled his wounded leg to his chest and hurriedly shed his scrap of a shirt. Biting his lip, he cut a strip of the cloth with his teeth and tied it tight above the bite mark, creating a sloppy tourniquet. He pressed the rest of the shirt hard against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. A low tortured whine escaped his lips.

From the darkened alley came a gunshot, then a scream. A few seconds later, the leader was seen sprinting out onto the street, his hand bleeding profusely. The boy ducked his head as the man raced past, yelling bloody murder.

Silence fell over the street. Then-

Footsteps. The boy clenched his eyes shut and prayed to a God he didn’t believe in.  _ Please just let me go. Please leave me alone. _

“Hey, are you okay?” The shooter crouched down a couple of metres away from the boy under the cart.

The injured teen glanced up slightly and did a comedic double-take at the sight of his saviour: the person who just took out four armed grown men was nothing more than a teen in a ragged cloak. His entire appearance was unkempt and dirty. His face was streaked with oil and dirt, and his shirt was grey with grime. His hair was a rat’s nest and his shoes looked older than the owner. Despite his filthy body, the other boy carried himself with pride. His eyes looked both kind and fierce. The only thing that he carried that looked remotely clean was a sparkling pistol, which gleamed silver in the sunlight, obviously treasured and well cared for. The taller boy noticed the other looking warily at his pistol, and swiftly tucked it away, but not without great care.

He extended his hand. “I won’t hurt you. It’s going to be alright.” He let out a wide smile, his eyes turning into endearing crescents. “My name is San. Like a mountain! What’s yours?”

The boy under the cart reached out tentatively and took San’s outstretched hand. “I’m Hongjoong. Thank you for saving my life."

* * *

It turns out that San was only a year younger than Hongjoong, which caused the older no small amount of embarrassment at having to be saved by him. The two of them hobbled along the deserted street for a while, until San turned them down a small dirt road. They travelled a little further until they came across a tiny shack. “Home sweet home! We’ll get you patched up right away,” chimed San. Hongjoong said nothing in response, too busy keeping himself awake, energy drained by the heavy blood loss.

San shouldered open the creaking door and pulled Hongjoong into the hut. The small building consisted of one single room. A rickety bed was in one corner, an old chest at the foot of it. A pile of clothes were thrown in the other corner. A couple of boxes were scattered around the room. One or two candles sat on top of the boxes, unlit. There were no windows, but the wooden planks of the wall were so thin, that sunlight streamed into the room anyway. The roof looked like it would collapse at the slightest hint of wind. However, it was already a massive improvement to where Hongjoong lived: on the street, exposed to the elements.

Hongjoong was nudged over to the bed, where he crumpled exhaustedly. Meanwhile, San bustled around the room, doing… something. He was too tired to keep track of the other boy.

“Ah-ha! Found it.”

Suddenly, San appeared beside Hongjoong, arms full of bandages, bottles of liquid, and other medical supplies. The older teen noticed San cradling a dainty-looking blue bottle. It might have been the blood loss, but Hongjoong swore he saw it glowing slightly.

Before he could pursue that train of thought, San knelt and pulled out a sturdy knife. “I hope you aren’t attached to these pants.” He was about to reply, but San had already sliced away the cloth to reveal the messy bandage Hongjoong had managed to conjure up. He removed that as well to expose the ugly wound in the slitted sunlight. San winced in sympathy. “That looks painful.”

Hongjoong huffed out a breathless laugh. “No shit.”

San snorted and lifted the limb slightly. He took a clean cloth and started to wipe away at the wound, gently cleaning it. Hongjoong bit his lip to keep in his groans of pain. Suddenly, the cloth disappeared and was replaced with the unexpected burning sensation of alcohol on an open wound. Surprised, the teen arched off the bed with a yell of pain. “Fuck!”

“Sorry. Sorry, but I have to clean it, or infection will set in and you might have to lose the leg.”

Hongjoong grit his teeth and nodded tightly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Keep going.” The burning feeling returned, but this time, he was prepared, so it wasn’t as bad.

Then it stopped. San spoke up, “Listen Hongjoong, I don’t have any needles or thread, but this needs stitches.” The other frowned. “Then just bandage it up. I’ll survive.”

San shook his head. “No, that won’t work. But don’t worry, I have a solution. But you gotta trust me.”

Hongjoong paused. Did he trust San? He met him less than an hour ago, but already San had saved him from those men and that fucking dog, and now he was tending to his injuries.

“First, tell me why you’re helping me,” he said finally.

There was a beat. “Because you looked like you needed it. And I’m tired of being alone, surviving day to day,” sighed San.

“What’s the catch?” Hongjoong had learned the hard way that nothing came for free in this world.

San laughed. “The catch? Be my friend. Don’t leave me alone. Have my back. That’s it.”

Hongjoong considered it.  _ Well, what do I have to lose? _ “Okay. I agree.”

The younger let out a beaming smile. He pulled out the blue bottle. “I got this from a witch. A reliable one. She said that it’s a healing potion” explained San, uncorking the vial.

“Don’t care. Just do it already.” Hongjoong’s leg started to go numb. He wondered how much blood a person could lose.

Without any further hesitation, San poured the contents of the bottle on the wound. There was a bright golden light and then the two of them watched in fascination as Hongjoong’s leg healed itself, until nothing but a faint scar was left.

“Wow.” They chorused. Surprised, they exchanged glances.

_ Yeah,  _ thought Hongjoong,  _ I think this is going to work out okay.  _

* * *

San and Hongjoong worked out a system: previously, San had made some money by carving wood and selling them as trinkets in the market. He taught the other boy how to carve so they could alternate days where they would stay home and carve, while the other went out to the marketplace to sell the previous day’s batch.

One week later, Hongjoong was at home working on a new carving: this time, it was a boat. He had always wanted to own a boat. His father had been a sailor, so Hongjoong had grown up on the sea. But then his father had gotten ill, and his mother had to sell the boat to buy medicine, but it was no use. His father had passed away one winter, and his mother died of grief soon after, leaving Hongjoong alone and penniless at the tender age of eleven. Now, six years later, he allowed himself to dream of one day having his own boat. A boy can dream, right?

He looked around him: the sunlight was almost gone. Hongjoong reached over to the nearest candle and just as he was about to light it, a noise came from outside.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen.” That’s San’s voice. And it sounds like he’s with someone.

“Shut the fuck up, you son of a bitch. You fucking shot my hand.” Hongjoong’s eyes widened at the familiar voice: it was the man with the dog!

Quietly, Hongjoong pulled himself up from where he was sitting and shuffled over to the corner closest to the door. He picked up his carving knife and held his breath as he heard them come closer.

San made a fuss outside, protesting loudly: “I know you want revenge, but I swear, I don’t know where he is!”

There was a sound of a harsh smack, followed by San’s tiny groan of pain. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I saw him yesterday at the same stall in the marketplace you were at just now, selling the same fucking pieces of shit. If you don’t open that door right now, I’m going to put my knife in your spine.” Hongjoong felt an overwhelming fury rise in his chest.  _ That bastard hurt San. This fucker is going to kill my friend. _ He narrowed his eyes as the two other males stopped right outside the door.  _ Not if I have anything to say about it. _ The door creaked open, and San walked into the room, the man holding a dagger to his back. Hongjoong attacked.

Before the man could even take in his surroundings, Hongjoong had his dagger buried to the hilt in his shoulder. The man yowled in pain and lashed out with his knife. San yelled as the knife made contact with his skin. The still bellowing man began to turn, but Hongjoong yanked the knife right out... and plunged it into the man’s back. Right into his spine. How ironic.

The man collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap, dead. Hongjoong was stood panting above his corpse for a second longer, before remembering San’s cry. He rushed forward to San’s shaking form. The other boy had a hand pressed against the side of his neck. Gently, Hongjoong guided his hand away and inspected the wound.

He let out a relieved sigh. “It’s shallow, luckily. It won’t even need stitches, which we would really buy, you know.” Hongjoong pulled back and stared into his friend’s eyes.  _ I could have lost him. An inch to the left and he could have been killed.  _ The older watched in horror as San’s steel grey eyes began to water. “Hyung,” he whispered. Gathering his dongsaeng into his arms, Hongjoong shushed him softly. “It’s over now, Sannie. It’s okay. You’re okay.” It struck him just how  _ young _ they were: he was barely seventeen and San was sixteen. They were still kids, but already they’ve had to do some pretty dark shit to survive.  _ Ha,  _ scoffed Hongjoong internally,  _ the proof of that is lying not but three feet away from me. _

Hongjoong had never killed before. But if his brother was ever in danger, he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe, I bet most of you were thinking that Hongjoong was gonna do something unsavoury to Seonghwa... But instead you get an unexpected origin story! Yay!


	6. That first spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively titled: Bultaoreune
> 
> Thank for the lovely comments and kudos! I appreciate everyone who took the time to do so. 💙
> 
> Also, the title is from Pirates of the Caribbean, if anyone's interested. I forgot to mention that earlier. 
> 
> Warning: minor character death.

Yunho Fanart by Scarlett Luna

* * *

The next day, they decided that they should pack up their meagre possessions and find somewhere else to live, the memory of what had occurred fresh in their minds. The two boys decided that they should leave Mixnine city entirely, just in case the man’s cronies decided to come looking for their missing ringleader.

San and Hongjoong journeyed near and far for a couple of months. Mostly, they travelled on foot, but then they came across a port where a merchant ship that was down a couple of crewmembers was docked. Since they had no destination in mind, Hongjoong begged San to come with him on the ship. San, who had never even set foot on a boat before, was hesitant, but Hongjoong’s pleading eventually won him over.

Eden, the captain of the ship, which they found out was called the _KQ Fellaz_ , was less sure about letting them join his crew. But Hongjoong explained that his father had been a sailor, so he was familiar with the workings of a ship, and that he would personally teach San how to sail. Eden acquiesced and allowed them onboard.

It was on the _KQ Fellaz_ that Hongjoong and San met Yunho. The boy was Eden’s nephew and the three of them became fast friends. Yunho had seen Hongjoong and San’s carvings and expressed an interest in woodwork. The other boys were quick to teach him everything they knew (which wasn’t much), but to their surprise, Yunho picked up the lessons quickly and with much more skill than either of them. Eden saw this and immediately had his nephew shadow the ship’s carpenter and coopers, to further his learning. Meanwhile, Hongjoong started to ask Eden all sorts of questions about how he ran his ship, leading to Eden jokingly asking the teen if he wanted to be captain.

This caused Hongjoong to pause. He didn’t want to be captain, but he wanted to be _a_ captain. The _KQ Fellaz_ was a wonderful ship and had a great crew. But the merchant’s vessel was slow and the goods they traded were flamboyant and unappealing: Hongjoong had no taste for fancy cheeses and splendid silks, but he did have a taste for wealth and the sea and _danger_.

He pondered his situation for a couple more months, frequently discussing his thoughts with San and Yunho. It was on one such night about a year after they first joined the crew, where the three of them usually lounged in their cots below decks and chatted... when the ship was attacked.

* * *

“PIRATES! CAPTAIN, TO THE STARBOARD SIDE: THE JOLLY ROGER HAS BEEN SPOTTED!” called the lookout. 

The three of them bolted upright in their cots, eyes wide. Eden’s commanding voice sounded above decks. “Awake the crew! To arms!”

Around them, the rest of the crew spun into action: men were stumbling out of bed and grabbing weapons, tossing on clothing half-heartedly and sprinting up the stairs. The teens followed suit, but as they were making their ways up the stairs, an explosion rocked the air around them. They took cover and made their way upstairs once the smoke cleared.

They emerged on deck only to be greeted by a mass of splinters and fire - the pirates tried to blow up their ship. In terror, the young men watched as the pirates crossed the gangplanks and started stabbing at the groaning bodies strewn about the decks.

“No,” whispered Yunho, tears cascading down his face as he watched one pirate with a red eyepatch stab into a body Hongjoong realised was wearing Eden’s favourite coat. “Uncle. No…” sobbed Yunho, stumbling forward.

“Yunho! Stop! You can’t go out there! They’ll kill you too!” hissed San, dragging their friend back down the stairs. Hongjoong glanced back at the body of the man he had respected and looked up to as both a good captain and a great uncle to Yunho. He closed his eyes briefly before following his friends into the bowels of the ship, where he found them in a hushed but no less desperate struggle.

Yunho was crying wretchedly, pulling himself back the way they came. San was also crying, but he had an iron grip around the taller boy’s arms. The eldest sighed heavily. “Listen, Yunho. They’re dead. All of them. We need to hide or we’re next,” said Hongjoong quietly. Just then, there was the sound of voices descending the stairs. They exchanged petrified glances before Yunho snapped out of it. He grabbed the other teens’ hands in his own and ran even further into the ship, where they came across a stack of crates. 

Opening the first crate, Yunho took out the bottles from inside, uncorked them and dumped their contents out. Overwhelming smells that would have been pleasant if they were not mixed began to spread around them.

Then he shoved the crates around to form a sort of wall in front of the side of the ship. “Get behind the crates. The smell should put them off." Pinching their noses shut, they ducked behind the makeshift barrier and waited.

And not a moment too soon: footsteps sounded in the enclosed space. Then - “Urgh, shit! It smells terrible in here!”

“Aye, it does. I head some ships are trading perfume. A crate of them must have fallen over and smashed the bottles inside.”

“Whatever. These boxes are full of cloth. I say we take ‘em and leave the rest. If the captain asks, we’ll just say we didn’t find anything else.”

“Good idea. I can’t even breathe without my fucking eyes watering.”

The two voices and their footsteps departed. The three of them waited for a couple of minutes longer before they emerged from their hiding place. Quietly, they snuck up the stairs and watched as the pirate ship started to pull away. As Yunho made a low tortured noise and gathered his uncle’s corpse to his chest, keening and rocking back and forth, Hongjoong noted the name on the side of the ship. The _Firestarter._ How apt, because they really did start a fire. And Hongjoong was going to watch them burn.

* * *

Abandoning the ship, the three of them gathered whatever valuables the pirates had missed and loaded it all into a longboat, spread oil over the deck of the ship and let it burn, giving Eden and the rest of the crew a shoddy attempt at a funeral. Then they rowed to the nearest island. Once there, they sold all of their wares and earned themselves a fair bit of coin. Enough for lodging at the Shinee Inn for a couple of days with money to spare, while they pondered their next move.

The owners of the inn allowed them to stay for a cheaper price, as business was good and these three teens looked both heartsick and exhausted. The four owners, Jinki, Minho, Kibum and Taemin took the boys under their wings and cared for them. They had a soft spot for Yunho especially: their close friend, Jonghyun, had passed away a couple of years before, so they understood the grief that he was going through. Yunho spent many nights talking with them, and each night he would return to their shared room with dried tear tracks on his face but wearing a fond smile. Hongjoong and San considered this a great improvement.

While Yunho recovered, San and Hongjoong planned their next move. It was unspoken that they needed to take their revenge. The question was how. They needed to find the _Firestarter_ , then they needed a way to take out the crew. But they were just a group of eighteen and nineteen-year-old boys. How could they possibly pull this off?

The solution literally walked through the doors of the Shinee Inn, in the form of one Jung Wooyong and one Kang Yeosang.

* * *

Hongjoong and Yunho were sitting at their usual table in the corner of the in, waiting for San to return with their food. Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal two young men, a loud, animated blonde and a quieter, handsome brunet. The blonde was laughing heartily at something the brunet had said, a shrill cackle that shattered the tranquil atmosphere.

They approached the bar and Hongjoong saw them shake hands with Minho and Taemin, who were working up front today. A few minutes later, Taemin was pointing in their general direction, where the only free table was left. The newcomers thanked the two men and made their way to the table beside Hongjoong and Yunho.

At the same time, San was making his way over, balancing three plates in his arms. San and the blonde accidentally bumped into each other, causing San to drop one of the plates. “Shit!” he cried, belatedly reaching down for it.

Luckily, the plate was caught deftly by the blonde, the food barely jostled. Smiling, the stranger handed San the plate. “Sorry about that, I didn’t see you there.” With another smile, he turned and made his way to his table.

San stood there, clutching his three plates, staring at the back of the stranger’s head. He had the most dazed expression on his face. The steel-eyed sharpshooter was snapped out of his staring contest with the back of the blonde’s head by Hongjoong’s pointed cough.

He hurriedly put down his cargo and Hongjoong and Yunho dug in with vigour. Kibum’s cooking was _fantastic_. However, San didn’t even look at his food, content with staring creepily at the stranger. Yunho kicked him under the table. “San? San-ah. Sannie!” Finally, the younger looked at him. “What? Were you saying something?” Yunho shook his head, “No, but what the hell’s gotten into you? You’ve barely touched your food. _Kibum hyung_ made this. Normally, you’d be on your second helping by now.”

San just shrugged. “Not hungry.”

They settled into silence once more. San mooning over the smiling stranger, Hongjoong focusing on his food and Yunho watching his distracted friend in concern. Unlike Yunho, Hongjoong wasn’t too worried about San’s little crush. Every teen has a crush, right?

“Woo, you’re an idiot.” said the brunet suddenly. The blonde, Woo, smirked and leaned across the table teasingly. “Why Yeosangie? Is it because I’m choosing to follow you instead of living comfortably as a crewmember of the _Bangtan_?”

At the name of the infamous pirate ship, Hongjoong performed a rather spectacular spit take. _Did he just say the_ Bangtan _? One of the most powerful pirate crews in the world?_

The two strangers - Woo and Yeosang? - continued talking. “Aye, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I left to find my way in the world. You left because of me. I know how much they meant to you,” said Yeosang, flicking Woo in the face when the other leaned even more on the table, shaking it slightly.

Woo tactfully retreated when Yeosang threatened to flick him again. “Yeosang. You’re my best friend. Of course, I’m gonna follow you. The _Bangtan_ was home, and it’s true, I’m gonna miss them, especially Yeonjun. But where you go, I go.”

“Wooyoung-”

“Besides, if we ever need to find them again, my contacts will help. You know I can find anybody and everybody,” said Wooyoung confidently.

“Excuse me.” Wooyoung and Yeosang turned their heads to meet Hongjoong’s gaze. Beside him, both Yunho and San were fully focused, crush forgotten. “I couldn’t help but overhear, but did you say you could find _anyone?_ ”

Wooyoung nodded. “Aye, I did. Why? Are you looking for someone?”

Hongjoong exchanged glances with Yunho and San. He turned back to Wooyoung and Yeosang. “We are. Do you know where the _Firestarter_ is docked?”

Yeosang snorted. “Those cowardly assholes? Yeah, as a matter of fact, we do know where they are.”

“Where.” Yunho stood to his full height. “Where. Are. They.”

The shorter brunet didn’t look phased. “Do you know what is on the other side of this island?”

“It’s Bighit Bay. We’ve just come from there. It’s about a day’s walk from here to the port,” said Wooyoung, before they could say anything.

“Just tell us where they are,” grit out Hongjoong.

Yeosang smirked - a small wickedly sharp thing. “When we left, the _Firestarter_ was just docking.”

San gasped. “You mean-”

Wooyoung grinned darkly, “aye. This means that the crew of the _Firestarter_ is on this very island.”

* * *

Yunho Concept Art by Scarlett Luna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Jonghyun. We'll never forget you.
> 
> EDIT: The two necklaces in the concept art are hand-carved by Yunho for Mingi and himself because Yunho is an actual puppy and wants to let everyone know that Mingi is his.


	7. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you're having a good day so far. If not, maybe a new chapter will cheer y'all up. ☺️
> 
> Continuing onwards, then! 
> 
> Warning: mentions of suicide.

The journey from the Shinee Inn to Bighit Bay only took a day, but time seemed to both fly by and drag on. Every step brought them a little bit closer to avenging the deaths of the crew of the _ KQ Fellaz. _

Wooyoung and Yeosang acted as much needed distractions. The former talked for hours on end and San, in particular, seemed to soak in every single word the other boy breathed. Yeosang, on the other hand, was much quieter but provided a nice contrasting sense of peace. 

Hongjoong was grateful for both their presences because internally, he was panicking: he didn’t expect to find the  _ Firestarter _ so soon - shit, it’s only been a week since that fateful day.

And now here he was, on his way to confront them, with no firepower, no strategy. Just a bunch of teenagers, two of which he met yesterday.

Hongjoong usually prided himself on his ability to keep a straight head at all times, but revenge had caused him to lose his grip. But if they rushed in completely blind, there would be no small amount of danger. Hongjoong could be the reason for his friends’ deaths.

“Hey, Hongjoong!” Wooyoung came bounding over, completely shattering the pensive ambience around the older teen. Despite himself, Hongjoong felt himself smile slightly. “Yes?”

“Yeosangie and I just wanted to let you know that you can count on us for anything. We like you guys, and I was talking to San about what the  _ Firestarter _ crew did to you. We never liked those bastards anyway, so we’d be happy to help with getting your revenge. It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do.”

The sandy-haired teen let a chuckle escape him. “Thanks, Woo. I don’t know what San would do without you.”

“Huh?!” spluttered Woo, “What do you mean? San doesn’t need me! He’s so strong and handsome and tough and mysterious. Why would he need me?”

If there was one thing to know about Jung Wooyoung, it was that he was  _ loud _ . This meant that San, who was standing at the very back of the group, heard every single word. Hongjoong snuck a look over his shoulder at him while Wooyoung continued to babble and protest and deny Hongjoong’s words. The sharpshooter had turned beet red and was looking at the blonde with the most besotted and hopeful look on his face. Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Yunho and Yeosang have started to subtly rearrange the group’s walking positioning: Yunho was walking quickly behind San, and Yeosang was walking slowly in front of Wooyoung, causing the two in question to slowly gravitate towards each other. Hongjoong stood at the head of the group and watched in amusement as a blushing San was forced to walk next to a stuttering Wooyoung.

The eldest watched them joke and laugh and tease, integrating Wooyoung and Yeosang into their midst like they were always meant to be there. Hongjoong thought back to Wooyoung’s words earlier and relaxed a little: he could trust them. He wasn’t alone.

The planning could come with reconnaissance. But the gunpowder… maybe Wooyoung’s contacts in Bighit Bay might be able to help.

* * *

Wooyoung and Yeosang navigated the flocking crowds of Bighit Bay's marketplace with an ease that only came with familiarity. Hongjoong recalled that Bighit Bay was the  _ Bangtan's  _ favourite port, so it made sense that the two  _ ex-Bangtan  _ crewmembers knew their way around. Wooyoung waved to stall owners and shop goers alike but didn't stop to chat. Yeosang led the group with a single-minded purpose. He only slowed down when they came across an apple stall. When they saw the elderly man behind it, Wooyoung's face split into a beaming smile. "Mr Choi! How are you?" 

Mr Choi smiled in return, "I'm doing just fine, Wooyoung-ssi. Back so soon? I could have sworn that I saw you two less than four days ago."

"Aye, but now we're on a mission! Is he here yet?" asked Wooyoung, inspecting the apples in front of him. 

The elderly man shook his head. "Not yet. But while you wait, please take an apple. Young men like yourselves need fruit to become strong." 

They protested, but Mr Choi insisted. They took an apple each and thanked him profusely. 

"That's right," said Yeosang, with an odd tone about him, "how is your grandson?" 

Mr Choi sighed. "Thirsting for adventure as all boys do. I told him 'listen here, boyo, the life of an apple seller may not be exciting, but it's safer than gallivanting across the world. Stay here where it's safe, and trouble will pass you by.'" 

"Wise words, sir, but ones we won't follow," said a new voice. 

Wooyoung spun around. "CHANGBIN!" 

The stranger laughed. "Woo, I heard you wanted to talk?" 

The blonde threw himself at Changbin, not noticing San's clenched fists. His voice was like flint when he spoke up: "So who is this?" Wooyoung pulled away and gestured to the other male. "Everyone, this is Changbin, a good friend of mine and a member of the  _ Stray Kids _ crew. He's my contact."

Changbin waved. "Hi. I think I have some information you need." 

* * *

"So, before I tell you guys where the crew of the  _ Firestarter _ is, fill me in on your plan."

Everyone looked at Hongjoong. "The plan is simple: find out where they're staying and for how long. Depending on that time frame, we do some reconnaissance. We need some firepower too if we're gonna pull this off. Then, we take them out." 

A brief silence settled over their little group. Then - 

"Sounds solid enough," shrugged Changbin. "They're at the IU Inn. They've been here for about a week, selling and trading their no doubt ill-earned wares." At this Yunho let out a barely perceptible growl. His uncle's goods were being traded away by these scoundrels. They were  _ profiting _ off of his death. 

Their contact continued to speak. "I heard they'll be leaving tomorrow. The  _ Firestarter  _ itself is docked in the main harbour. You'll know it when you see it; those red and black sails are a dead giveaway." 

Yunho snarled. "They're fucking dead meat." Hongjoong placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He turned back to the shorter man. "Thank you for your help, Changbin-ssi."

The young man in question just shrugged. "It's no problem. Those assholes deserve what's coming to them." He paused. "Wait, didn't you say you needed some firepower?" 

Hongjoong nodded. "We have money. I just don't know who would be willing to sell their weapons to a bunch of teens." 

Changbin cocked his head. “Well, Felix mentioned something to me this morning that I think might solve that problem of yours: he saw the crew of the  _ Oneus _ at the docks last night, getting ready to set sail. They told him that they had picked up a talented gunner at Block B Harbour a week ago. They offered to give him a ride to Bighit Bay in exchange for a couple of high-quality guns, as they already have an amazing gunner, Leedo.”   


San frowned. “Are you saying there is a skilled gunner just wandering around the city?”

The  _ Stray Kids _ crewmember nodded. “The guy is supposedly loaded, and I mean literally - when the  _ Oneus  _ picked him up, he had a shit ton of pistols and muskets and cutlasses and whatnot. From what I hear, apparently, the guy’s just wandering around. And it shouldn’t be too hard to find the guy. According to Felix, he’s pretty tall, and he’s got bright red hair.”

* * *

They found the gunner lounging in a chair tilted against a wall in the main square. A large hat was drawn over his face, but the fiery red hair wasn’t hidden so easily. He was wearing a long coat that reached down to his ankles, and he had his feet propped up on a crate.

“Song Mingi?” asked Hongjoong.

“Whose askin’?” came the reply. 

“My name is Kim Hongjoong. These are my companions Choi San, Jeong Yunho, Jung Wooyoung and Kang Yeosang. We heard you’re selling some firepower.”

“I am.” Mingi removed his hat and let his chair fall forward. “Let’s talk business then. But first,” he pointed to San’s prized pistol. “Tell me where you got that.”

San hid it behind his back protectively. “It’s none of your business.”

Mingi stood to his full height. He was wearing platformed boots as well, making him tower over even Yunho. “You’ll tell me where you got that from, for I’ll just walk away.”

The sharpshooter narrowed his eyes. “It was my father’s. He gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday.”

The redhead laughed. “Yeah right. Your father is Choi Eun, one of the greatest pistol-makers of all time.”

San ducked his head. He gripped the pistol even tighter. “Was. He was one of the greatest.” At the others’ shocked looks, he sighed heavily. “My father was as kind as he was brilliant. My mom left us when I was little, so all we had was each other. He never really showed it, but he fell into a depression after she left. And then, after I turned sixteen, he put one of his beautifully crafted pistols into his mouth and shot himself. I packed up what I had left and decided to take my chances on the streets instead of in a house full of ghosts.”

A silence fell over the group. Then Wooyoung and Hongjoong moved to either side of San and grasped onto his shoulders tightly. “You have a new family now. We won’t ever abandon you as your parents did,” said Hongjoong firmly. Wooyoung just ran a soothing hand over San’s knuckles.

Mingi cleared his throat awkwardly. “Right, well… Sorry about bringing it up.” San nodded briefly. Mingi continued, “so, who is it that you’re after?”

“The crew of the  _ Firestarter. _ They killed our friends. Our family,” said Hongjoong tightly. The gunner nodded. “Yeah, I heard about them. They gained a reputation for being immoral cowards.” He paused, thinking.

“Tell you what,” said Mingi suddenly, “I won’t charge you for the weapons, and I’ll even help you take them down.”

Hongjoong frowned in suspicion. “And what do you want in return?”

The redhead shrugged. “Just let me have the first pick of the loot. And buy me a new coat. This one is getting old.” The coat looked pretty pristine to Hongjoong, but he wasn’t about to complain when he was clearly benefiting the most out of this deal. “Alright. We have an accord.”

He turned towards the street that led to the IU Inn, where the  _ Firestarter  _ crew were staying. “I saw we do some reconnaissance tonight. Tomorrow, we attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know San's dad's real name, so I made one up for him. Eun (은) means silver.
> 
> Anyways, we've got most of the band together now. Next up, Hongjoong's first mission.


	8. Mission: possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola amigos! Here's the next chapter for y'all. I hope you like it! :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Later that night, the six of them gathered in their room at the IU Inn. Downstairs, they could hear the patrons chattering loudly in the restaurant portion of the building. Somewhere amongst the crowd, was the crew of the  _ Firestarter. _

Hongjoong, San and Wooyoung had spent the rest of the day observing their quarry in the inn, who were easily distinguishable from the rest of the crowd by their red flame tattoos on their left wrists. Meanwhile, Yunho, Yeosang and Mingi had gone to stake out the ship itself. In the end, Hongjoong decided that the battle should be on the ship, where civilians couldn’t be hurt, and the only property around to be damaged belongs to the enemy.

Now, Hongjoong asked for the status report, so he could go about forming a plan. “What have we got?”

Yunho spoke up. “There are always two men aboard at all times, but they should be easy to get by - they’re either constantly drunk or constantly asleep. Shifts rotate every three hours. I counted ten men.”

Hongjoong shook his head. “Eleven - the captain never leaves the inn. He just drinks his money away and gropes IU’s employees. It’s disgusting to watch.”

San nodded. “Apparently, according to IU, they leave at about noon to go to the marketplace and trade. Then they come back in the evening to drink.”

“Aren’t they leaving Bighit Bay tomorrow?” asked Yeosang, “since we’re doing this on the ship, we should wait until they’re either drunk or hungover before attacking.”

The eldest nodded appreciatively. “I was thinking the same thing. They have the numbers advantage on us; almost two to one. We’re going to need every advantage we can get.”

Mingi tilted his head questioningly and asked, “do we know what time they’re leaving?”

Everyone turned to Wooyoung who said, “they’re setting sail in the afternoon. But they won’t be that hungover at that point in the day.”

“I have a way around that: Miss IU was quite helpful earlier. If it weren’t for the fact that they are currently her best-paying patrons, I’d bet that she’d kick them out. I’m sure she won’t mind slipping them a little extra something in their tankards,” said San, bringing out a slim vial from his pocket. “This is a really powerful drug. One drop per drink is enough to last a couple of hours. It creates the most annoying headache, but it’s not so unusual that they’ll think it is anything other than a particularly bad hangover.”

Hongjoong smirked. “It’s perfect. So we’ll drug them tonight, then sneak aboard at dawn and find someplace to hide. Tomorrow, once they’ve set off, we’ll come out of hiding and attack from behind.”

Yunho frowned. “But we’ll need a way of securing them as well. I think we should split into two teams: one takes them out, the other binds and gags them. That way, we won’t have to worry about anyone getting  _ us _ from behind.”

“That’s a fantastic idea, Yunho-ssi,” said Mingi, almost purring. Hongjoong rolled his eyes: he had seen Mingi eyeing Yunho’s ass earlier that day and he had also seen Yunho inspecting him right back. Honestly, at this point, only he and Yeosang were not romantically involved with anybody. But even then, the sandy-haired teen had heard the wistfulness in Yeosang’s tone when he asked about the apple seller’s grandson. He sighed heavily.

“I think,” continued Mingi, still watching Yunho’s expression like a hawk, “that we should set some traps aboard the ship. We can spring them as we go along the ship.”

“That’s… actually a really good idea,” said Hongjoong. Even though Mingi had suggested it to get a reaction out of Yunho (who was looking  _ too _ impressed for it to be solely about Mingi’s idea), the suggestion wasn’t a terrible one. “Yunho,” snapped Hongjoong, jolting the taller teen out of his heated staring contest with Mingi, “do you think you can make a few traps?”

“What kind are we talking, hyung?”

“Maybe nothing that has any direct effect on the crew: it might be too loud and suspicious. Can you sabotage their ship enough that it can still sail, but it would cause quite a bit of a fuss?” piped up Wooyoung. Hongjoong nodded in agreement.

The carpenter nodded. “Can do. Just give me some time and some tools. I’ll need to buy some right away.”

Mingi spoke up. “I met a carpenter in the city earlier today. I think I know where he lives. Yunho-ssi can come with me to choose the correct tools.” He shot a very pointed look at Yunho, who blushed. Hongjoong resisted the urge to smack his forehead. Instead, he just sighed. “Go. Better do it quickly before it gets too late.”

Once Yunho and Mingi had left, Hongjoong turned to San. “Can you speak with Miss IU again? Say what you need to to get her to help with the drug.” San nodded and walked out the door. That just left Wooyoung and Yeosang. 

“Can you two go back to the ship and try to find a way on board without the lookouts noticing?” They gave the affirmative and made to leave. Wooyoung paused. “Hyung? What are you going to do then?”

Hongjoong’s face darkened. “I have a very specific person to keep an eye on.”  _ The man with the red eyepatch. Eden’s killer. _

* * *

At dawn, Hongjoong led them down to the port and past the moored vessels until they reached the ship with the red and black sails. Their target. Now, Wooyoung led the way. He crept over to the ship docked next to the  _ Firestarter _ and edged up the gangplank. This ship was unguarded, and it was anchored close enough to the  _ Firestarter _ that they could just leap across the gap. One by one, the teens vaulted over the sides of the ship and they each landed soundlessly on the deck of the  _ Firestarter _ .

Here, Yunho stepped forward. He spotted an empty bottle of rum and rolled it across the deck. As he said before, there were two guards: one sound asleep against the capstan, and the other taking long swigs out of a bottle of alcohol. At the sound of the rolling bottle on the deck, the drinker looked up with a fuzzy “huh?”, which was swiftly silenced with a harsh knock to the head, courtesy of San. The other man remained asleep throughout the encounter. Mingi thumped him hard on the head as well for good measure. They continued onward.

They explored the rooms of the ship and took stock of what was stored where. They found the ship’s supply of gunpowder and spare weapons, which Mingi immediately doused in seawater hauled onboard by a random bucket. This meant that all the explosives, gunpowder and spare guns were rendered useless. The swords and knives were hidden away by Yeosang.

Meanwhile, Yunho and San were going around the ship, fraying the ropes and putting small but numerous slices in the sails. Yunho used the tools he had bought with Mingi to sabotage the ship’s helm: he sawed through the spokes connected to the wheel in a way that would look natural if broken off and then used tar-based glue to stick them back on again. However, when they try to use the wheel, the spokes could easily snap off if enough pressure was applied. But due to the specific way Yunho had cut them, it would look like an accident.

While the rest of the group was sabotaging the ship, Wooyoung tied up and gagged the unconscious guards and kept an eye out for anyone approaching the ship.

By the time Yunho, San, Mingi and Yeosang had finished, Hongjoong had found the perfect hiding place: in the brig, there were a few empty barrels, all of which were large enough to fit a fully grown man, not to mention a skinny teenager. By this time, the sun had emerged fully from the east, and the sounds of the town around them waking up had begun to overlap with the sound of the waves. Hurriedly, they untied the guards and left the drinking one slumped against the side of the ship with a pile of empty rum bottles around him, and one almost empty in his hand for good measure, as if he had fallen asleep drinking. They situated the other guard back against the capstan, the way they had found him. Then they crept back into the depths of the ship and hunkered down in their individual barrels to wait.

* * *

Having anticipated a long wait, each of them had brought food and a waterskin with them. They each had a sword, a pistol and a knife, curtesy of Mingi. The more long-range weapons had been left in their room at the inn.

They waited with bated breath as the ship came alive with voices and footsteps: they were here.

Eventually, they felt the ship lurch and then they were peeling slowly away from the port. Gradually, the ship began to pick up speed, until they were flying away from Bighit Bay. Hongjoong waited fifteen more minutes and then tapped on the wall of his barrel three times,  _ tap, tap, tap,  _ then Hongjoong slowly removed the top of his barrel. Around him, he heard the others do the same. Yunho and Mingi groaning slightly as they straightened their bodies: being the tallest wasn’t always an advantage.

While the other went about hiding their food and waterskins in the barrels then closing them, Hongjoong peeked his head around the door. Nobody was in sight.

Turning, he brought his index and his middle finger on his right hand together: their signal to pair up. Wooyoung moved over to San, Mingi to Yunho and Yeosang to Hongjoong. They gave each other one last determined look before San and Wooyoung ducked out the door. Ten seconds later, Mingi and Yunho left. Hongjoong exchanged a smirk with Yeosang before they too left their hiding spot.

As they crept through the ship, Hongjoong mentally chanted the plan in his head:  _ take out three men, leave the man with the red eyepatch and the captain. _

Yeosang grabbed his arm, Hongjoong stopped and turned questioning eyes on him. The brunet tilted his head to their front. A man was sitting on a crate with his head in his hands, groaning softly as he massaged his temples. Hongjoong gave a brisk nod and split up from Yeosang.

Hongjoong waited a couple of seconds for Yeosang to get into position, before stepping out from behind a pillar. “Aren’t you a pitiful sight.”

The pirate’s head snapped up but before he could make a sound, Yeosang had thumped him on the head, and Hongjoong was stepping forward to catch his slumping body. While Yeosang gagged the unconscious man, Hongjoong bound his hands and feet. The tucked him into a small alcove and continued onward.

They took one other man out the same way, before moving throughout the interior of the ship, searching for any pirates the other groups missed. Along the way, they found Mingi and Yunho who shook their heads and held up only two fingers, meaning they only managed to find and take out two people. Hongjoong nodded in acknowledgement and held up two fingers as well. That made a total of four men. Seven more to go.

The four of them continued to comb the ship, joining up with San and Wooyoung outside the galley. They held up two fingers. That made a total of six. Hongjoong nodded and held up four fingers to indicate that the rest of them had taken out four men, but San made a confused face at the number. “We found two other bodies though,” whispered Wooyoung. Hongjoong frowned. “So are you saying there are only three men left?” San nodded slowly.

They searched through the ship one last time before concluding that there were no other pirates below decks. That meant there was only a random pirate, the captain, and the man with the red eyepatch left. They recounted the tied up bodies below decks and found that there were indeed eight unconscious men. They must have miscounted, no matter how unlikely that was. But there was no more time to ponder this: they had an attack to mount.

Hongjoong pointed his index fingers towards each other and moved them in a circling motion: change partners. San and Yunho, Mingi and Hongjoong, and Wooyoung and Yeosang were now grouped together. Hongjoong readied his pistol in his left hand and drew his cutlass in his right. The others did the same.

The eldest teen watched as his friends inspected each other’s gear. Hongjoong was filled to the brim with pride: here they were, six teenagers on a pirate ship, miles away from land having taken out eight (six?) men undetected and now about to storm the deck to get revenge. They have accomplished so much in such a short time, hell, they met Yeosang and Wooyoung three days ago and Mingi yesterday, but Hongjoong already knew that they were bonded for life. There’s no way they would all go their separate ways after this: they’ve been through too much for that.

As one, the six of them turned towards the staircase that led up to the main deck and waited for Hongjoong to make the first move. “For Eden,” he murmured. Then, they attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol sorry about the cliff hanger. But tomorrow is when shit hits the fan. One more chapter of the crew's backstory, and then we are back to your regularly scheduled program. Have a nice day!


	9. Captain Kim Hongjoong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya everybody!
> 
> I was watching ATEEZ'S reaction to the INCEPTION MV on Vlive earlier: they're so adorable 🥺🥺🥺
> 
> This chapter will be the last of the flash backs. 
> 
> Warning: mentions of death and gore. Like quite a bit of blood is involved. I updated the tags as a warning.

The sound of a gunshot cracked through the silent air. The unidentified pirate screamed as he clutched his thigh. Quickly, Wooyoung and Yeosang rushed forward to knock him out. Meanwhile, Hongjoong and Mingi raced up the stairs to the helm, where the captain was standing, watching in shock. Out of the corner of his eye, Hongjoong saw Yunho and San charge towards the port side of the ship, where the man with the red eyepatch was previously leaning against.

Mingi fired a shot from midway up the staircase. The captain ducked as the deadly metal ball whizzed past. Hongjoong knew he was nowhere near as good as Mingi with a pistol, so he opted to use his sword instead. He lunged forward at the captain, who drew his own blade and parried the blow easily. Mingi growled from behind Hongjoong and there was a  _ shing! _ as Mingi unsheathed his own cutlass.

But the captain of the  _ Firestarter _ had been a pirate for longer than Hongjoong had been alive. He had been crossing swords with opponents far greater than an inexperienced teenager long before Hongjoong had learned what a sword  _ was. _ The fact that Mingi was also there did very little to even the odds.

They traded blows back and forth. It was very much two steps forward, one step back: they were making slight headway, but this was because they had the element of surprise on their side, as well as the lingering headache from San’s trick the night before. Soon, the shock would wear off and the adrenaline would bolster the man: they needed to finish this quickly.

Hongjoong risked a glance behind them: Yeosang had joined Yunho and they were duelling the man with the red eyepatch viciously, while San reloaded his pistol. Despite the constant moving of the three males, San looked steady and confident as he levelled his pistol. There was another gunshot and cry of pain as the pirate went down hard, a neat wound to his shoulder. San never misses. Meanwhile, Wooyoung had come to help Mingi and Hongjoong.

As Hongjoong concentrated on dodging the flying steel, he heard Yeosang, Yunho and San coming up the stairs. Turning back to the captain, Hongjoong spoke. “Give up. Your crew is either unconscious or wounded. You are surrounded. Yield, pirate.” The captain hesitated. He glanced down at the main deck, and his eyes widened. Slowly, he lowered his blade and let it fall to the floor. “I relent,” he ground out. “But tell me, who are you to attack my ship? What have I done to receive such hatred?”

At this, Yunho took a step forward. “Less than two weeks ago, you raided a ship named the  _ KQ Fellaz _ . You killed the crew and took the cargo, selling it and profiting. But you didn’t notice the three teenagers who had hidden below decks.” Yunho grabbed the man by his lapels and screamed in his face. “I walked on deck only to see my crewmates burning and dying! I watched as one of your men killed my captain,  _ my uncle _ , before my very eyes! And we made a promise,” he hissed, as Hongjoong and San flanked him, “that we would see you burn just as we watched them do so.” He drew his dagger, but just as Yunho made to move, there was a yell of pain from behind them. They spun around, and Hongjoong saw the man with the red eyepatch’s hand pinned against the wall of the ship by a slim throwing knife. An abandoned pistol lay at his feet. Evidently, he had tried to shoot them from behind, but someone had stopped him. Which led to the question of ‘who’?

There was a beat of silence before a figure emerged from inside the ship. All Hongjoong saw was the back of a brunet head and muscular, well-defined shoulders. The newcomer strode forward, yanked the knife out, backhanded the pirate hard enough that he spun a full circle before collapsing on the floor in a heap. Then he turned around to face his stunned audience.

“C-Choi Jongho?” stuttered Yeosang incredulously. San did a double-take, “who, the apple sellar’s grandson?”

The teen - Jongho - walked forward casually, tossing the bloody knife in his hand in a twirling spiral, before catching it deftly and throwing it again. He walked past a stunned Yeosang and a curious Mingi and sauntered right up to Hongjoong. He dipped his head in a small bow.

“I came to help.”

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. “It’s you! You were the one who took out those two men!” Jongho nodded. His eyes flicked darkly over to the captain, who was being restrained by Wooyoung and Yunho. “May I?”

Hongjoong hesitated briefly before nodding. Jongho smiled slightly in thanks and turned to the captain. “You must not know who I am either. Why would you? This killer doesn’t even learn the names of his victims much less their family members.”

The teen placed the tip of the blade against the pirate’s bobbing Adam’s apple. “I bet you don’t even remember. Do you? You can’t even remember that this very morning, as you were walking back to your ship, you stumbled into an apple cart. You yelled at the old man pushing it and screamed ‘how would you like it if I pushed you?’ and then you shoved him, hard. You probably didn’t notice the old man’s head cracking against the stone floor, didn’t you? You probably didn’t even notice his skull split open and his brain matter and blood paint the sidewalk. But I did.” At this point, Jongho was crying angry tears. Wooyoung was also crying silently, and Yeosang looked like he was about to throw up. Hongjoong could empathise: Mr Choi had been so kind and jovial - he didn’t deserve to die like that on the street.

Jongho was still speaking, his voice tight and raw. “I saw it all. My friend, IU, told me she would take care of the body while I went after you. Hell, you were so hungover, that you didn’t notice an extra crewmember. I waltzed on this ship, relaxed in a cot all out in the open and just waited for one of you dumb fucks to notice the seventeen-year-old grandson of an apple seller lounging in the crew’s quarters, but literally none of you fucking shitholes took a second look. I heard a commotion outside the room and saw these other young men taking out your crew and I decided to help. And yet, you still didn’t notice anything was amiss. God, I wonder if you’ll even notice if I gutted you like the pig you are, right here and now.” He dug his knife in, until there was a warm ruby trail of blood, dripping steadily down the man’s throat. The coward whimpered slightly and said breathily, “please, have mercy.”

Hongjoong spoke. “Ha! Why should we spare you? You have no qualms about killing. Why should we?”

The captain continued to beg. “Please, spare my life. You can kill my men, but just please let me live.”

Hongjoong paused at this. He turned away from the blubbering man and leaned against the railings of the upper deck. He ducked his head in thought, then straightened his back. “Did you hear that?”

The man with the red eyepatch blinked up at him blearily, having just regained consciousness. “I said, 'did you hear what your captain just said,'” asked Hongjoong. The man slowly shook his head.

“He said ‘you can kill my men, but just please let me live.’” Hongjoong took great pleasure in watching the man’s one good eye widen in disbelief, before clouding with rage.

He turned back to the captain. A delicate but wicked smirk stretched across his handsome face as he watched the man gulp in terror. “Jongho-ssi. Please consider letting him live. I have an alternative solution that appeases everyone,” he said politely. Jongho paused but seemed to sense the vicious undertones to Hongjoong’s pleasant facade. “I will defer to your judgement.”

“Excellent,” said Hongjoong clapping his hands together. “Yunho, Jongho. I will give you the blood you both crave so much.” He paused. Hongjoong raked his gaze over the captain’s trembling body. Then- “You may cut off one of his hands, Jongho-ssi.”

“WHAT?” yelled the captain, struggling furiously. Wooyoung and Mingi held him down flat against the floor, and Jongho placed the blade against the pirate’s right wrist. Before he could make a move, Hongjoong tapped his shoulder first. “Wait just a moment. Yunho, you may do the same to the man who killed your uncle.” Yunho immediately made for the stairs, San and Yeosang a half-step behind him. They mirrored the others’ position, Yunho poised to make the cut. Both pirates were screaming and thrashing, trying to escape. However, the man with the red eyepatch was weak form Jongho’s earlier attacks, and Hongjoong had placed his sword at the captain’s throat.

“Remember,” called Hongjoong over the screaming and the begging, “you brought this on yourselves.” 

There were two drawn-out howls of pain before the noises dissolved into harsh sobbing. Hongjoong looked unimpressed. “Wooyoung, keep them alive. I’m not done with them.”

As Wooyoung wrapped and bandaged the severed appendages callously, Hongjoong strode over to the side of the ship. He watched the bright light of the afternoon sun skitter and bounce across the ocean’s waves, and smiled slightly. “You know, you’re one scary motherfucker,” said San, coming to stand beside his hyung. Hongjoong chuckled, “I am? Well, I rather like being ‘one scary motherfucker’ then. We should do this more often, Sannie.”

San snorted. “What? Stowaway on enemy ships, take out the entire crew and then maim the captain? Sounds like your average Tuesday.”

Hongjoong turned back to watch as Wooyoung tended to the man with the red eyepatch, none too gently binding his bloody stump. “Not in as such,” he said to San, “but bringing justice to the immoral, sailing the sea, flirting with danger… I mean, we have a ship after all, as well as the startings of a great crew.”

San baulked. “Are you saying… become pirates?” Hongjoong smirked again. “Got it in one.” The sharpshooter laughed. “Yeah. Why the fuck not?”

He turned to the others. “Hey, want to become pirates with Hongjoong and me?” he yelled. “Fuck yeah!” cheered Wooyoung and Yunho in unison. They high-fived, not minding the blood that soaked both of them. Mingi laughed uproariously before yelling, “what would you meatheads do without me?”

Yeosang dipped his head, “this should be interesting.” Hongjoong turned to Jongho, “and you, Jongho-ssi?”

The teen paused, before nodding. “As long as I can return to Bighit Bay to give my grandfather a proper burial.” Hongjoong smiled sympathetically. “Of course.”

He turned back to smile at San. The other teen was grinning widely. “To the horizon, Captain Kim?”

Hongjoong smiled. “Not yet, San-ah. We have some shit to dispose of first.”

* * *

“We marooned the  _ Firestarter _ crew on a deserted island known for being in tiger shark territory, and the last I saw of them was the man with the red eyepatch chasing his ex-captain, screaming, ‘you did this to us!’ You may be wondering why I never learned their names: because they simply weren’t important enough - they were nothing more than the spark that lit this bonfire, and the only thing they will go down in history for is being the first rival crew Kim Hongjoong and the crew of the  _ ATEEZ _ took down at the tender age of nineteen,” gloated Hongjoong. 

His expression turned more solemn. “We then returned to Bighit Bay and gave Mr Choi a burial fit for a king. We sold the  _ Firestarter _ ship as well as some of the leftover goods to a reasonable buyer and we bought a new ship - a bigger, better one: the  _ ATEEZ.  _ But I kept the red and black sails, though. I rather liked those,” finished Hongjoong.

Seonghwa looked at him with an indescribable expression, but Hongjoong could sense the fear, respect, empathy, and awe in it. Suddenly uncomfortable with the siren’s close scrutiny, Hongjoong cleared his throat. “Well. I think I’ve been talking for long enough. Tomorrow, I will return, but I’ll leave you to get some rest now.” He stood, cracking his joints which were stiff from sitting for so long.

At some point, San had been replaced with Jongho as Seonghwa’s guard. Hongjoong patted the maknae on the shoulder as he walked past him, before closing the door and leaving the room in silence, Hongjoong’s lilting voice absent after long hours of storytelling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow is back to Seonghwa and the treasure hunt!


	10. The Wrath of Poseidon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day, earthlings! Here's the next chapter.
> 
> If you're interested in a bit of background music check out the endnotes.
> 
> Enjoy!

Early the next evening, Wooyoung was at his usual post up in the crow’s nest, when he spotted something unusual in the horizon. He took out his telescope and studied the blur harder. He gasped at what he saw.

_ Shit. I have to tell Hongjoong. _

Just to make sure, he focused on the object through the lens once more. The figure did not change.

“Fuck,” he cursed aloud, as he started to climb down. 

Miles away, the ship continued its breakneck speed towards the  _ ATEEZ. _ The  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ was heading this way: all they could do was brace themselves for the storm to come.

* * *

“Are you absolutely sure?” asked Hongjoong.

“Positive,” came the reply. “I saw their sails.” The infamous sails of the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ were depicted with a storm cloud accompanied by a lightning bolt. Every pirate knew of the symbol. Every pirate knew of who it heralded.

“Shit. I knew he was after us, but I didn’t know he was this close,” muttered the captain. San spoke up, “what do you propose we do?”

Hongjoong scrubbed a calloused hand over his face. “San, prepare for battle. Tell the crew to remove the wax. They need all of their senses to win this fight.”

“Why me? What about you?” asked San.

“I’m going to make sure that they don’t get what they come for.”

Hongjoong made his way out of his captain’s quarters and down into the hold. Meanwhile, he heard San start shouting orders, telling the crew to arm themselves and start steering the ship away from the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ : they couldn’t outrun it, but they could buy Hongjoong more time.

The pirate captain pushed the door open loudly, startling the siren who was asleep. Yunho, who was standing guard, immediately made his way on deck, presumably to help prepare the ship.

Seonghwa looked up at Hongjoong, who kept his earplugs in at first, but then slowly removed them. “Your time is up. You need to decide right now. Are you going to help us find the Idol’s Eye?”

At the name of the treasure, Seonghwa gasped. He mouthed the words ‘Idol’s Eye?’ at Hongjoong who nodded. The siren pondered this before nodding his head firmly. The pirate narrowed his eyes. “You won’t try to betray us?”

Seonghwa nodded and closed his eyes. A glowing ring appeared around the siren’s throat. Then a tiny delicate string seemed to detach from the ring and stretch out towards Hongjoong. It settled tentatively against his hand. Slowly, he opened his palm and closed his fist around the glowing string. Immediately, both Hongjoong and Seonghwa gasped. A warm light enveloped them both.

Hongjoong felt like he was being filled to the brim with light. A beautiful song echoed in his ears, but it felt different from last time: last time it was manipulative, controlling. This time it was comforting and compassionate.  _ ‘Thank you for trusting me,’  _ said a voice in his head.

The pirate’s eyes flew open. “Did you just… did you just speak to me?”

As he watched, the light finally disappeared. Hongjoong was suddenly struck with an image of a golden collar around the siren’s neck, and the leash was in his hands. 

_ ‘I cannot speak aloud, nor can I speak to anyone else. But I have given you a piece of my soul, so you can understand me. I cannot physically harm you either.’ _

As Seonghwa ‘spoke’ his mouth didn’t open. But Hongjoong heard him all the same. “Then I will promise you something in return. As long as you do not hurt any of my crew, and you help us find the treasure, I will guarantee your safety and comfort.” Seonghwa dipped his head in thanks.  _ ‘Much appreciated. Thank you, Hongjoong.” _

Just then, Jongho burst in through the door. “Hyung! They’re here!”

Hongjoong pulled the door open and allowed Seonghwa to step through. “And so we’ll fight,” he said, drawing his sword.

* * *

When he stepped onto the deck of the  _ ATEEZ _ , Hongjoong was filled with a sudden flash of deja vu - but no, this wasn’t the  _ KQ Fellaz _ , and his men were still alive and fighting. Without any more hesitation, Hongjoong lept into the fray. He swung his sword at a pirate’s unsuspecting back, saving Yeosang’s life. The man nodded in thanks before throwing a knife into the eye socket of someone who had corned Wooyoung.

Hongjoong spotted the rest of his crew locked in deadly battles. He fended off a couple of random attackers, but he was searching for two people in particular: he wanted to keep an eye on Seonghwa, as the siren was currently unarmed and helpless. The other man he was searching for was-

“It’s him! Captain Uloe is here!”

Hongjoong whipped around to where the voice had come from. Then he saw him.

Captain Uloe cast an imposing figure. He stood as tall as Yunho, but he was much more muscular than the carpenter. His body bore numerous scars that did nothing to detract from his rugged good looks. He wore a navy coat with a golden hem, matching the colours of his ship, just as Hongjoong wore red and black to match the  _ ATEEZ. _ Uloe was holding his iconic chain knife, coined the  _ Lightning Strike _ by its unlucky victims or its terrified witnesses. It was a golden dagger on the end of a three-metre long chain. It acted as both a projectile and a close contact weapon.

"Captain Kim,” said the older man. “Rumour has it that you are going after the Idol’s Eye.”

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes. “Captain Uloe. I thought you were above listening to idle gossip.”

Uloe laughed, a deep resounding timbre. “You and I both know that rumours can be an invaluable source of information. It all depends on who you heard it from. Now,” he took a casual step forward. “Why don’t you hand over the map and the siren. While you can.” He took another step forward, but this time he allowed for the knife of the  _ Lightning Strike  _ to drop to the ground with a  _ thunk _ . He kept stalking towards Hongjoong, dragging the knife along the deck as he went.

Captain Kim stood his ground. He held his sword before him ready for the first strike. “You know I would rather die than do that.”

“And so you will.” Uloe spun the chain knife around his left foot, snapping it towards Hongjoong’s feet like a darting snake, who jumped out of the way and jabbed his blade at Uloe. He ducked out of the way and spun his weapon like a ball on a string, creating a barrier made of chain and a deadly knife, while Hongjoong worked to break through the block.

Suddenly, Uloe snapped the  _ Lightning Strike _ upwards, the dagger shooting up towards Hongjoong’s face. He dodges and slashed at the taller man’s stomach, but Uloe just pulled the chain taught, stopping the blade. Hongjoong kept up his assault and swung downwards at Uloe’s head, but he simply repeated the same block, but this time, he wrapped the chain around Hongjoong’s wrist and  _ yanked. _ The younger man was pulled off balance and crashed to the ground with a cry of surprise. Instinctively, Hongjoong rolled away, and just in the nick of time, and the dagger plunged into the deck right where Hongjoong’s spine would have been.

Hongjoong rolled to his feet and swung his sword at Uloe’s feet, but the man sidestepped and then there was a chain around Hongjoong’s neck, pulling tight. Hongjoong choked as he felt the metal tightening its grip around his throat, cutting off his airway and crushing his windpipe. Desperately, Hongjoong struggled, but the lack of air was starting to take its toll.

_ Bang! _ “Fuck!” shouted Uloe, as a pistol bullet lodged in his calf. Hongjoong dropped to the deck, coughing violently as his throat worked to bring air into his oxygen-starved lungs. Uloe continued to curse and swear colourfully, spinning to face San, who had his pistol raised. San never misses.

The quartermaster dropped his pistol, having no time to reload it, as Uloe advanced unevenly on the younger man. He drew his sword and knocked the  _ Lightning Strike  _ away as it made to stab him in the face.

Hongjoong struggled to his feet when he saw his brother locked in a deadly battle with one of the most vicious pirate captains of all time. He joined the duel, taking on Uloe two on one with San.

Even with a bullet wound to the calf, Uloe was a dangerous opponent. The pain made his attacks more forceful but sloppier as well. The chain knife is a difficult weapon to master. The long-range and complicated movements necessary to wield the chain meant that Uloe needed space to operate and that his defence was not as proficient as his attacking, so Hongjoong and San pressed as close as possible, cornering the pirate captain.

Suddenly, Uloe kicked in a wide circle. Hongjoong managed to dodge, but the kick hit San in the face. With a yell, the younger went flying, smacking into the wall of the ship and collapsing to the floor in a heap. Hongjoong watched in horror as Uloe sent the  _ Lightning Strike _ right at San’s dazed form.

_ No! _

And then Hongjoong was leaping forward, the only coherent thought in his head was  _ ‘protect San’ _ .

Time seemed to slow as Hongjoong threw himself in front of his best friend, and time seemed to stop entirely when the Lightning Strike buried itself up to the hilt in Hongjoong’s chest.

* * *

Seonghwa spent most of the attack hidden behind a bunch of barrels, occasionally throwing things at the enemy in order to distract them, or sticking his long legs out to trip them up.

The siren was no stranger to violence, he was a  _ siren _ after all, and they were known for being territorial and aggressive. Especially during the full moons, like tonight, where the ocean and the moon’s collective power was the strongest. And as children of the ocean, the sirens also shared that boost in strength, and their magic and physical prowess multiply exponentially.

But Seonghwa was different from the rest of his pod. Since all siren pods are matriarchal, the males are treated as soldiers at best or pets at the worst, which is why male sirens are so rarely spotted by humans above the shoreline. The fact that Seonghwa outright refused to cultivate his fighting skills meant that even the other males looked down on him.

Of course, Seonghwa had fought before, but never on land. So he opted to stay hidden behind the barrels. That was until he heard the most gut-wrenching scream.

“NO!  _ HYUNG! _ ” That was San’s voice.

Just then, an overwhelming pain erupted in Seonghwa’s chest. Clutching the spot, the siren looked down. But he was completely unharmed.

Then he made the connection between the invisible wound and San’s scream.  _ Hongjoong! _

Seonghwa felt along the newly formed bond between them and gasped when he felt Hongjoong’s unadulterated pain. Suddenly uncaring of the danger, Seonghwa jumped up to his feet and scanned the deck. Bodies were strewn across the deck, but he focused on the one in the long red coat, being desperately shielded by San’s trembling figure, as Yeosang and Jongho fended off the man with the long chain.

The quartermaster was pressing at Hongjoong’s chest, frantically trying to stop the blood from flooding the deck, but despite his best efforts, the wooden planks under the  _ ATEEZ’s _ captain were steadily being soaked in Hongjoong’s lifeblood.

Seonghwa had seen enough. He opened his mouth and started to sing. The full moon shining over them seemed to brighten until the entire deck was awash in silver. The fighting ground to a halt. Every single pirate looked at the siren, but there was a distinct difference between those who were part of the enemy crew and Hongjoong’s crew. The  _ ATEEZ _ crewmembers looked confused and intrigued, but very much aware of their surroundings. Meanwhile, the other pirates had become mechanical and slow in their movements. Their eyes glossed over and their weapons fell uncaringly to the floor. Slowly, they started to walk towards the gangplank that led to the other ship. They crossed the piece of wood unseeingly and after a few moments, the ship started to pull away. Seonghwa stepped onto the bow of the  _ ATEEZ _ and stretched out his arms, still singing. The ocean obeyed his call and gave a great heave, and then the ship was being pushed away from the  _ ATEEZ  _ at an impossible speed. Once it was a mere speck in the distance, Seonghwa finally stopped singing.

The moon’s glow receded and the siren collapsed against the side of the ship exhaustedly. 

“Seonghwa.” The siren looked up to meet Yeosang’s gaze. The pirate extended his hand, and Swonghwa tiredly took it. Yeosang hauled the exhausted siren over the side and back onto the deck.

“Fuck! We need to stop the bleeding. Yunho! Where the fuck is my bag already?!”

The siren’s attention snapped to Wooyoung. And the body the surgeon was leaning over, his hands bloody and slippery against his captain’s bare skin.

_ Hongjoong. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun DUNNNNNN!
> 
> Poor Hongjoongie... 
> 
> Introducing Captain Uloe, my OC baddie. Uloe (우뢰) means thunder, hence the whole storm theme.
> 
> Also if y'all are interested this is the song that I had in mind that Seonghwa was singing: [Youtube link.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0aaq5pjnQ) It's the song the Elves in the Lord of the Rings sing in Lothlorien. I chose this song over any siren song because this melody conveys mystery and grief so well - Seonghwa doesn't want to fight, he desires peace above all else, which is different from the other sirens, hence why I didn't use a typical 'siren' song.


	11. To put the king in check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you all for your wonderful comments! Here's the much-awaited chapter. Just a heads-up: I know very little about medicine and injuries, so I might be a little inaccurate when it comes to the health part of the chapter.
> 
> Also another quick warning: blood, lots of it, and injury (obviously).
> 
> Enjoy!

San didn’t even notice the singing at first. He was too busy holding Hongjoong’s limp body to his chest, pressing desperately on the wound. He only heard Seonghwa once Uloe dropped the  _ Lightning Strike _ and started walking away, but even then, San couldn’t bring himself to care.

As soon as the fighting stopped, Wooyoung sprinted over and dropped to his knees. He helped San lie Hongjoong flat on the ground and leant his entire body weight on his hands, staunching the blood flow much better than San had been able to, but still, the quartermaster feared that it wasn’t enough. Yunho had already raced off to find Wooyoung’s kit, and San spotted Yeosang helping the siren back on board.

He turned his attention back to his captain when Wooyoung bellowed for his tool bag. Yunho skidded over, dropping the heavy leather bag open beside the surgeon. Jongho leaned over, ready to help, seeing as San was emotionally compromised.

And he was. San was still crying, tapping on his hyung’s face, trying to get him to wake up. He was muttering to him as well, to see if he would react. But so far, Hongjoong was yet to show any signs of awareness. Wooyoung had already sliced open Hongjoong’s shirt the moment he got there, but now he was cautiously inspecting the wound as Jongho wiped away the unending flow of blood.

“Shit,” muttered the blonde. “The knife snapped his floating rib. I can’t tell if there’s any internal bleeding, but the chances are too high. I need to perform surgery,  _ now. _ Yeosang! Boil my tools in hot water. We have to keep the fucker clear of infection, or he’ll be having a nice chat with Davy Jones.” He continued to put pressure on the hole in his captain’s chest.

Yeosang made to move forward, but a pale hand held him in his tracks.

“The fuck do you think you’re doing?” hissed San. “Seonghwa. Let him go. Wooyoung needs him.  _ Hongjoong  _ needs him.”

The siren just shook his head and pointed to himself. Then he knelt down roughly beside Wooyoung and gently nudged him aside.

“Of course!” gasped Wooyoung, smacking his forehead. San cringed as his captain’s blood was spread over his lover’s face at the movement. Wooyoung didn’t seem to notice in his excitement. “Siren’s have healing abilities! You can help him!”

As the blonde spoke, there was a great cough from the body below him, and Hongjoong’s back arched uncomfortably off the ground. He started to choke and thrash as scarlet liquid started to drip out of his mouth. Wooyoung cursed colourfully. “Fucking motherfucker’s shit-dicks. He’s bleeding internally! We’ve got to do something-”

Wooyoung was cut off as Hongjoong’s convulsion’s stopped abruptly. Silence filled the air as Hongjoong’s head lolled limply on the deck, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The surgeon darted forward and pressed his fingers against Hongjoong’s jugular. His mouth dropped open in shock.

“No.” He placed his ear against his chest. Nothing changed. “No!” cried Wooyoung. He scrambled back onto his knees and started doing chest compressions.

San just watched in shock. Then it was like a tidal wave smashed into him. “Hyung, no! You can’t do this to me! You can’t leave us now. You promised! You promised me that you wouldn’t abandon me like my parents did. You fucking bastard, you saved me and now you’re fucking dying? No! You don’t get to do this kind of shit. Come back, you fucker! Or I’ll beat your ass into next week. Fuck you, Kim Hongjoong. You can’t do this to me.” His screamed started to decrease in volume until he was just sobbing. “Please, hyung. Don’t die. Don’t leave. Hyung…”

By this time Wooyoung had already moved onto breathing for Hongjoong. San turned desperately to the siren. Seonghwa just shook his head. He pointed to Hongjoong’s heart and then held out his hands: Hongjoong needed a heartbeat for Seonghwa to heal him.

Just then, Hongjoong gasped loudly and his eyes parted slightly. Wooyoung let out a relieved breath and returned to putting pressure on the wound. Seeing Hongjoong awake made San lean forward desperately. “Hyung! Thank fucking God. Stay with us okay? You’re going to be just fine.”

Hongjoong just gave a small smile, even as a trail of blood dripped out of his mouth. His eyes dipped closed again, and San pushed down the instinctual wave of panic.

Seonghwa had begun to sing again, and golden light started to emanate from his hands, which were hovering over the wound delicately. They all watched in fascination as there was a loud  _ crack _ of a rib snapping back into place, and the wound sealed itself shut. The golden light spread throughout Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s bodies until the crew had to avert their eyes.

When the glow died, Hongjoong’s chest was marred only by its usual scars and a newer pink one where the wound just was. His eyes were closed in peaceful sleep, his body lay still, but not the same stillness as before - like death.

Suddenly, Seonghwa was slumping forward, energy gone. Even with the help of the full moon, controlling the minds of over twenty pirates, making the water move to his command and banishing the enemy, and then healing someone moments away from death had exhausted the siren. Jongho deftly caught the boneless Seonghwa and carried him below decks, presumably into one of the spare cots. Yunho was then stepping forward to carry Hongjoong over to his captain’s quarters. Meanwhile, Wooyoung gave his lover a deep but brief kiss on the lips, before he was pulling away to tend to the other injured members of the crew, the first of which was Mingi, who was bleeding heavily from his eye.

San sat there in a pool of his best friend’s blood and laughed aloud. They were alive. They were safe. All because of Seonghwa. The quartermaster then decided that the siren deserved an apology for his previous behaviour. But that could come after a bath and a long nap.

* * *

It had been almost a day since the attack. In that time, the rest of the crew had sent out a longboat containing the bodies of friends and foe alike and set it on fire, as well as categorising the weapons left behind by the crew of the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ . The  _ Lighting Strike _ was shoved deep into a box and locked tightly by Jongho, not to be touched by anyone.

Wooyoung had been by far the busiest: he had cleaned and stitched up a multitude of wounds, checked up on Hongjoong and Seonghwa, who were both sleeping to regain their strength, and tended to Mingi’s eye: unfortunately, during the fight, Mingi had received a slash to the face, which had grazed his eyeball. Since Seonghwa had expended all his energy helping to drive the enemy crew away, as well as saving Hongjoong’s life, Mingi was unable to have his eye magically healed. So now he was down one eye for the rest of his life, but the redheaded pirate bore no ill will towards anyone except the man who had done this to him. Jokingly, the gunner had told Yunho that it was alright if he no longer considered him to be handsome, but Yunho had cut off that train of thought quickly by giving Mingi a passionate kiss. 

As the two made out heavily, Wooyoung took the time to find Mingi an eyepatch. He gave it to the redhead, who laughed and said that he was finally a real pirate. Yunho brought out his paints and allowed his lover to use his white paint to draw an ‘A’ onto the black eyepatch. “‘A’ for ‘A-grade asshole’,” Mingi had laughed. He spent a couple of hours getting used to having one eye and Yunho stuck to his side like a limpet the whole time.

And San… Well…

* * *

Hongjoong awoke slowly. His senses returned to him one by one - the first of which was his sense of touch: he could feel the soft slide of cotton under his fingertips, and the cushiony feeling of a pillow beneath his head. Next was his sense of smell: old parchment and wax - his quarters? His sense of taste came right after: the disgusting flavour of iron filled his mouth - blood? His hearing was next: the constant sound of the ocean, the creaking of his ship, the chatter of his crew, the breathing of someone nearby. Finally, he opened his eyes and came face to face with Wooyoung.

The surgeon looked haggard. Dark circles had sunk themselves around his eyes, and his skin looked abnormally pale. But despite this, a wide toothy grin split his lips when he saw Hongjoong’s eyes were open.

“You’re finally awake, you bastard.”

He handed him a cup of water, which Hongjoong downed quickly to get rid of the taste of blood and soothe his parched throat. “What happened?” he croaked.

“What happened is that you were an absolute fucking idiot and jumped in front of the fucking _Lightning_ _Strike_ of all things to save my life. You then proceeded to bleed all over my lap and my favourite fucking pants, literally die on us, then Wooyoung brought you back so Seonghwa could heal you literally after saving us all from the crew of the _Wrath of Poseidon_ ,” said San, who had been skulking in the corner for hours.

Hongjoong winced at the long list. “Alright. I’m guessing you’re mad at me?”

“You can fucking bet that I’m mad, hyung. You actually died less than a day ago. You’re heart fucking stopped and so did your breathing and for all intents and purposes, you were  _ dead! _ Of course, I’m fucking pissed. You did this all for me. Why the fuck did you jump in front of that fucking knife?” screamed San, coming forward to grip Hongjoong’s lapels.

“Because I love you too much. Sannie, I’ve known you for almost six years now. We may not share any blood, but you’re my brother through and through. I would die for you a hundred times if that’s what it took, and the fact that it took only once is something to be grateful for.” Hongjoong placed his hands over San’s tearstained cheeks and brought their foreheads together. “San-ah. You can count on me to make the same choice if you are in danger. I would do the same for any of my crew, and I know you would also do whatever it takes to keep us safe. So I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness, just as you won’t when  _ you _ pull this kind of stupid stunt. But I will tell you that I am glad to be alive, glad to be here. So please stop crying, Sannie. It breaks my heart to see you cry.”

San nodded briefly and swiped at his tears. Then he dove forward to pull Hongjoong into a bone-crushing hug. He felt Wooyoung embrace him from behind, wrapping San and Hongjoong in his arms and squeezing tight.

“Aish, we’re motherfucking pirates. We have a fucking reputation to uphold,” grunted San, breaking away from the others. They scoffed and moved away, but Hongjoong continued to grip San’s hand tightly in his.

The three of them maintained their positions for a while longer, just basking in each other’s presence.

* * *

Hongjoong found Seonghwa leaning against the railings at the stern end of the ship. The siren was watching the waves swirl in the wake of the vessel with a detached look. He jolted slightly when Hongjoong came to lean against the rails beside him.

“Thank you. For everything.”

Seonghwa smiled.  _ ‘My pleasure.’ _

Everything that was needed to be said was passed through those six words. No other sentiments were needed - they understood each other perfectly.

“Now, we head north,” said Hongjoong, pulling out the treasure map. “To Momoland.”

_ ‘To Momoland,’  _ echoed Seonghwa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Hongjoongie is fine, Seonghwa is fine, everyone is fine... and now we're off to Momoland to search for some treasure!


	12. Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope y'all are having a great day. If not, I hope this chapter can cheer you up. 😁
> 
> Enjoy!

The map to the Idol’s Eye was a bitch to read: the trail made no sense and looped around endlessly. The bearings were in a weird code and the scale was impossible. The clues that were written around the margins made no sense whatsoever, so much that Hongjoong was beginning to think that they were just for decoration. The only legible piece of writing was on the back:

_ If you seek to find the Idol’s Eye, _

_ Alone it can’t be found. _

_ Then bring me a siren’s sable cry: _

_ My secrets come unbound. _

It was because of the third line in the riddle that they knew they even needed a siren in the first place, but the ‘sable cry’ bit alluded them.

But despite the inconsistent and contradictory map, Yeosang had managed to determine the location of the endpoint: the small island of Momoland.

Hongjoong was confused - Momoland was just a couple of hours away from an island populated by a massive city: Gangnam, home to the legendary King Psy. How the treasure remained undiscovered for so long mystified him. However, it was the only lead they had. Maybe, once they arrived, Seonghwa would do his ‘sable cry’ or something and lead them to the Eye, as no one ever before had managed to gain the trust of a siren before.

The captain just hoped that the week’s long journey to Momoland from where they were was worth something.

* * *

“Nothing! There’s fucking nothing here!”

Hongjoong ignored Mingi’s vexed screams and massaged his temples; it had been just over a week since Uloe’s attack - with Seonghwa’s help, they had managed to turn what was originally a seven-day journey into a mere five-day one. They had reached Momoland with two days to spare, and Hongjoong had decided to take Seonghwa, San, Yeosang and Mingi, as well as a group of his other men, to shore to explore the island and hopefully find the treasure.

Two days into the search, and they had found no trace of the Idol’s Eye.

The captain turned hopeless eyes onto the siren. “Seonghwa, are you sure-”

_ ‘Hongjoong-ah, I told you a week ago that I had no idea what the riddle was referring to. I had hoped to come to Momoland and something would signal me so I would magically be able to perform my so-called ‘sable call’, but I’ve traipsed all over this island alongside you and there’s been no sign whatsoever.’  _ Seonghwa sounded just as exhausted and disappointed as Hongjoong himself. But still, Hongjoong could not let it rest. He narrowed his eyes at the taller male. “If you’re lying to me-”

_ ‘Kim Hongjoong!’  _ The man in question winced at the volume of Seonghwa’s telepathic voice, as well as the clear indignation Hongjoong’s statement had caused.

_ ‘I have told you: I cannot physically lie to you, nor will I ever wish to. I am just as frustrated as you are, and I have been cursing my inability to help more than you could imagine. I have done absolutely nothing to warrant this blatant accusation from you, Captain Kim, and the fact that you believe I could betray you in this way is, frankly, offensive,’ _ huffed Seonghwa, his luminous blue-brown eyes bright with hurt.

Hongjoong sighed and held out his hand for Seonghwa to grasp. The siren did so without hesitation. “I’m sorry, Seonghwa, it’s just that we came all this way and-”

_ ‘I understand, Hongjoong. Trust me, I do. But we can figure this out.’ _ Seonghwa gripped the other’s hand tightly, then let go, letting his hand drop back to his side.

The pirate captain nodded and straightened his back, only to come face to face with San, who wore a peculiar expression on his face. Noticing that he now had Hongjoong’s attention, the sharpshooter spoke. “Right. Now, if you’re done with your weird telepathic conversation that no one else can hear, I have something you need to know.”

At Hongjoong’s nod to continue, San sighed heavily. “Listen, hyung, I know you don’t want to hear this, but the Eye is obviously not on Momoland. Supplies are getting low - both here and on the ship. We should head back and make for Gangnam. Once we restock, we can figure out what our next step is.”

By this point, Mingi and Yeosang had also gravitated over and were looking at Hongjoong expectantly. The captain sighed. “San is right. This is a waste of time. Mingi, give the order.”

Mingi nodded and turned to face the grumbling men strewn about the camp. “Listen up, you sad bunch of flea-bitten sea dogs: it’s back to the ship with you, as the Captain has it! Move your arses or I’ll feed your balls to the sharks!” he bellowed. The men muttered and moaned as they packed up their belongings and made their way to the longboats. Mingi continued to shepherd them along with his creative insults, barking at the stragglers.

As the other moved around the camp, Hongjoong looked to Yeosang. The navigator had deep bags under his eyes, and his skin had taken on a sallow look. Clearly, the man was exhausted. Hongjoong was guilty even thinking it, but he had to ask. “Yeosang is there any possibility that you made a mistake?”

The navigator shrugged tiredly. “Honestly, Captain, I don’t even know anymore. I’ve studied that thing front to back and left to right, but it just leads us to this island. You know that I’ve been tutoring Jongho in my spare time, and even for a novice, he’s got some of the sharpest eyes I’ve ever seen - he can’t see anything else either.”

Hongjoong clasped the other man’s shoulders tightly. “It’s alright, Yeosang. We’ll make port in Gangnam and then we’ll ask around, see if we can find anything other clues.”

“Oi! Captain! You staying on this shitty piece of rock or what?” called Mingi from the beach. The other crewmembers were all ready to go. Hongjoong nodded and sighed. “Back to the ATEEZ, then.”

* * *

They docked at Gangnam Port a couple of hours later. By the time they reached land, the sun had long since descended into the ocean, leaving the city lit by nothing but firelight. 

San was never one to waste time, so he immediately dragged Jongho, Yunho and Mingi along with him into the city to buy much-needed supplies. Yeosang tiredly took the map back from Hongjoong with a wry smile on his face. The captain assumed that he was going to spend a few more hours scouring the map for answers, but a swift look assured that Wooyoung would make sure the navigator got some valuable rest.

Hongjoong found Seonghwa by his usual spot at the very back of the ship, looking out into the harbour. Suddenly struck by the siren’s beauty, Hongjoong took a moment to watch him: Seonghwa’s eyes reflected the lights of the hundreds of candles that illuminated the city. The darkness created a complimentary shadow, highlighting the sharp angles of his face. The loose clothing he wore was simple but it was very clear that Seonghwa was a fine male specimen - all rigid abs and tight muscles. But his lips were almost feminine - that was the only possible explanation for Hongjoong wanting to kiss him, right? He could imagine pressing his own Cupid’s bow lips to Seonghwa’s and licking his mouth open, devouring his innocent noises of happiness and bruising soft, petal-like lips in his quest to  _ claim- _

The pirate almost slapped himself. Seonghwa was an ally, a friend. Just because he was physically attractive didn’t mean that he was a  _ romantic  _ option! Hell, Seonghwa wasn’t even  _ human! _

But still, over the past few days, Hongjoong had learned that the siren wasn’t at all like he expected. No, Seonghwa was kind and humorous and gentle, so unlike the image of deadly, lustful sirens Hongjoong thought was the norm. The siren had explained what his life was like in his pod - how he was outcasted and reviled. Hongjoong had pitied him and empathised with him. Seonghwa had even started crying when he told him how his own mother had turned him away. When the pearly tears had made their way down pale skin, Seonghwa had startled. He explained that in the sea, their tears were whisked away by the ocean current and emotions that were considered ‘weak’ were looked down upon.

He told Hongjoong about how Chungha, the leader of his pod, had taken a liking to him and protected him for a time, teaching him her ways of seduction, of fighting, of living. But Seonghwa had wanted to leave the pod, find his own way. He and Chungha had argued, and Seonghwa had left to get some space. In that time, other sirens who were openly hostile towards Seonghwa had taken this chance to attack, dragging him to shore and strapping him down as a sacrifice to the ocean and moon. They had only left once a group of men had summoned a demon of flame. Weeks had passed, and he had clung to life, entrancing fish to jump into his mouth to stay alive. Seonghwa would sing to pass the time, hoping that Chungha would hear his call and save him, but he knew that there was no hope: the pod moved on every couple of weeks, and by that point, Chungha would have left. And so he waited for death. But then Hongjoong had come instead and brought him on an adventure of chases and battles like he had never seen before.

Hongjoong had listened quietly, just as Seonghwa had listened when he told his story. In the end, the two had just let the silence continue - no words were needed. They understood each other, in every possible way. That was the first time Hongjoong wanted to kiss him.

Now, Hongjoong wanted to kiss him for the fifty-second time. (He kept count.) But his inappropriate daydreams were shattered as Seonghwa heaved a deep breath and said,  _ ‘isn’t the sea beautiful?’ _

“It is,” said Hongjoong, his eyes still on the siren.

_ ‘Sometimes, I miss it. But then I remember what happened, and then I realise that I only miss Chungha. Everything else is better left in the past. Besides,’ _ he looked up at Hongjoong, eyes as luminous as the torches Hongjoong named him for,  _ ‘I have other ties now.’ _

The moment lingered. It stretched until Hongjoong was sure hours had passed, but it was, in fact, mere heartbeats. Hongjoong took an unconscious step forwards. Seonghwa also stepped forwards. They closed the gap between them until they were a toe to toe. The pirate could count the delicate scales that framed Seonghwa’s face. He could see individual eyelashes quiver. He could almost taste him at this distance. He leaned forward, their lips grazing each other tentatively. He watched Seonghwa closed his eyes…

“Captain!”

The two jolted apart like they had been shot. Hongjoong spun around to face a panting Wooyoung and a distressed Yeosang. “It’s the map!” cried Yeosang. “It’s missing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at last I see the light~


	13. Thief in the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter is a bit later than usual, I had like three hours of sleep so I forgot about this until just now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy today's chapter.
> 
> Warning: mentions of death and torture.

“What?” gasped Hongjoong. “The map is  _ missing _ ?”

Wooyoung nodded. “Yeosang fell asleep, so I put the map away like usual. I must have also fallen asleep because when I woke up, it was gone. I couldn’t have closed my eyes for more than a couple of minutes, but someone must have come in during that time.”

Hongjoong frowned, pondering. “How are you so sure someone took it? What if you just misplaced it? Accusing someone of stealing from me… this is a serious matter.”

The blonde tossed his head incredulously. “Captain, what do you take me for? I double-checked the entire cabin: there was nothing. The map. Is. Not. There.”

Yeosang spoke up softly. “Hongjoong, the door was open when we woke up.”

And that alone convinced him. Yeosang was very particular about his privacy, and always,  _ always, _ closed the door if he did not want to be disturbed. The fact that the door was open when the navigator was sleeping, was a massive warning flag.

“Alright. I believe you. But who could have stolen it?” asked the captain.

“I checked the crew’s cabins,” said Wooyoung, “San, Mingi, Yunho and Jongho are not here, but they are off getting supplies. The only other person who is not here is Guleum.”

“Do we know where he went?” asked Hongjoong.

_ ‘Guleum is the man with the bushy grey beard and the nasty teeth right?’ _ When Hongjoong gave the affirmative, Seonghwa smirked.  _ ‘Well, I might have overheard him muttering to himself about Gangnam Style Plaza. Something about meeting the “Thunder Captain”?’  _

Hongjoong snarled. “The fucker is going to give the map to Uloe.”

* * *

The four of them raced down the gangplank, almost smashing into San, Yunho, Mingi and Jongho, who were coming back to the ship ladened with supplies. Without a word, they shoved the boxes and sacks of supplies into the arms of bewildered crewmembers and took off after their captain.

“So where are we going?” asked Mingi, uncaring of his booming volume in the quiet of the night.

“Guleum’s a traitor. He stole the map is gonna give it to Uloe at the Gangnam Style Plaza,” yelled Wooyoung, just as loud.

Jongho spoke up, not even out of breath despite the punishing pace Hongjoong was setting. “So we’re just gonna go in completely blind? We don’t even know how many men are waiting for us.”

Hongjoong smiled dangerously. “They don’t have what we have.”

“And what is that, hyung?”

“We have Seonghwa.”

Surprised by the mention of his name, the siren startled slightly and turned away, but not before Hongjoong saw the deep blush that painted his cheeks.

_ ‘You believe in me that much?’ _

“I know you won’t let any harm come to us,” replied Hongjoong, steadfast.

A rather obnoxious stage whisper came from behind them. “They’re doing it again,” whisper-shouted Yunho. San’s equally dramatic reply made Hongjoong roll his eyes: “What do you expect? I would almost assume Seonghwa had bewitched him, the way I catch hyung mooning at him.”

The captain was under no illusions that Sweongha had not heard his quartermaster: sirens had excellent hearing, enough that he could hear Guluem muttering himself from the other end of the ship. So Hongjoong just refused to look in his direction and focused on not tripping. He could sense Seonghwa about to speak, but then Hongjoong skidded to a halt. They were here.

The eight of them crept along the cobblestone streets, backs pressed to the wall, weapons drawn. This was, by no means, their first ambush: Yeosang and San were better versed at long-distance combat so they moved further behind the others. Seonghwa accompanied them as he had no close combat experience, and he didn’t need to be particularly close to his target to use his powers. Mingi, Yunho and Jongho took the lead, as they were the most physically intimidating of the group. The three of them would draw the enemy’s attention, while Wooyoung and Hongjoong flanked them and attacked them from behind. They had used this method before and found that it yielded the best results. Seonghwa was a new component, but an extremely powerful one: he would be their finishing move of a sort.

But first, Hongjoong peaked around the corner that led into the mostly empty plaza. He saw Guleum standing by the fountain in the centre of the courtyard, fumbling something in his hands nervously. Hongjoong couldn’t see or hear anyone else. He ducked back around the corner and held up one finger. He turned to Seonghwa for confirmation. The siren closed his eyes and tilted his head in concentration, listening intently for anyone else who could pose a threat. He opened his eyes and shook his head. Nobody was near.

Hongjoong nodded. This meant that either they had got here early, and Guleum still had the map, or that they were too late and Uloe had already gotten his hands on it. Either way, they still had a traitor to catch.

With a brisk nod from the captain, the group split up. Hongjoong and Wooyoung crept into position behind Guleum and waited for the ensuing chaos.

Mingi let out a war cry and charged into the plaza like an angry bull, Yunho and Jongho on his heels. Guleum shrieked in surprise and terror as the one-eyed gunner towered over him. The coward spun on his heel and raced for the opposite exit, but a sneaky extended leg from Wooyoung ensured the man went tumbling down to the ground. People began to shout and complain about the noise from their homes, creating a chattering buzz.

“Yunho!” barked Hongjoong. The carpenter leapt forwards and slammed the butt of his sword against the traitor’s head, knocking him unconscious. Jongho scooped him up onto his shoulders and the pirates stole away into the night, their prey secured.

* * *

“Search him,” ordered Hongjoong. “I don’t care if you have to skin the snake - just find me that map.”

They had made their way out of the heart of the city and into the surrounding forest, where they found a clearing that would be a nice setting for their little interrogation. They had tied Guleum to a sturdy tree and placed a single stolen lantern beside him.

“Captain, the map is not here. He must have already given it to Uloe,” said Yeosang. Hongjoong growled lowly. “Fuck.”

San said, “but we found these on him. I haven’t seen them before.” He held up two shiny pieces of metal. One was a rather plain-looking pendant with the Virgin Mary engraved on the silver surface, and the other was a coin or a token of some sort with the figure of a siren scratched into it. When San held up the latter, Seonghwa paled significantly and his legs seemed to collapse underneath him. He scooted away from San hissing and spitting - his teeth sharpened into points and his eyes glowing golden.

Hongjoong was startled: the last time he saw Seonghwa acting so animalistic was when he had tried to escape on that first day. But there was something different about the light in Seonghwa’s eyes now: the usual honey warmth was gone, replaced by a cold, spiteful amber gaze.

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong’s voice came out more worried than he had intended. “What is it?”

The siren didn’t look at him, continuing to stare hatefully at the silver token.  _ ‘Hongjoong, do you know what that is?’ _ , he asked tightly.

Hongjoong shook his head. “It’s just a coin. Why? Is it magical?”

Seonghwa gasped out a wheezy huff of laughter, empty and hollow.  _ ‘Magical? I suppose you land-dwellers would only see it that way. It’s pure evil, Hongjoong. Utter malicious, soul-sucking evil.’ _

“What do you mean? What does it do?”

The siren’s face darkened.  _ ‘I don’t know the human name for it. But the siren’s call it a ‘Thief’.’ _

“A Thief?” Hongjoong’s face scrunched up in confusion.

_ ‘Parents would tell their children warning stories about humans and life above the sea. In every single story, they would mention a Thief: “the surface is dangerous, there are humans and Thieves up there.” “If you’re naughty, a Thief will come get you.” Siren children grow up with a hatred and a fear for humans because of these innocent looking coins.’ _

Hongjoong said this aloud for the rest of the group, and Wooyoung frowned. “But what does it even do?”

_ ‘A Thief can shield a human from a siren’s magic. And if it’s touching a siren’s bare skin, it will temporarily steal away that siren’s soul-connection to the ocean,’  _ said Seonghwa.

“Temporarily? That doesn’t sound too bad,” Yunho said.

Seonghwa let out another strangled sounding laugh.  _ ‘That’s because you don’t know how painful it is for a siren to lose their connection to the sea. It’s like losing your ability to process air in your lungs, your ability to see and your ability to walk all at once. One single press of a Thief to your skin would bring you unimaginable pain for hours. But the worst part is that you feel better after a while, but then they do it again, and you fall into that pit of despair and agony all over again. There are stories of sirens dying because they were subject to too much of this torture. It’s every sea creature’s worst nightmare.’ _

Silence followed Hongjoong’s horrified repetition of Seonghwa’s words. Every single person looked disgusted and furious at the brutality that sirens must have endured at the hands of humans.

_ ‘But that’s not even the worst part.’ _

Hongjoong’s head snapped up at the mournful tone.

_ ‘The worst part is how they are made: a coin has the figure of a siren scratched on its surface and then it’s shoved down the throat of a living siren. As they scream and protest and beg, the coin gains more power. The maker waits until the siren is literally choking on the metal before slicing open their throat and digging out the coin. We call it a Thief because not only does it take our power, it takes our lives.’ _

A tiny whisper finally made Hongjoong move:  _ ‘it took my father from me.’ _

Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa started to cry. He dropped to his knees beside the siren and wrapped his arms protectively around the sobbing creature. He felt the rest of his crew come to circle them both, keeping Hongjoong and his charge shielded against the world.

“I’m so sorry, ‘Hwa. What do you want us to do with it?” asked Hongjoong, desperate to fix this mess.

Seonghwa shook his head.  _ ‘I don’t care. Just keep it away from the sea.’ _

Hongjoong sent San away into the forest to bury the coin far away from Seonghwa. The quartermaster went without protest. Even though the coin was gone, Seonghwa avoided San unconsciously, still wary of the residual black aura of the metal.

Hongjoong turned to the still unconscious Guleum. “Wake this piece of shit up. I have questions that need answering.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hwa... 🥺🥺 Also Hongjoong being a supportive bae.


	14. Eight makes one team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god oh good sorry this is so late 🙏🙏🙏 *Cue Super junior's Sorry Sorry*
> 
> I'm quite proud of this chapter actually, let me know what you think in the comments 😁
> 
> Enjoy!

San took great pleasure in slapping Guleum awake. He had hoped that by smacking the traitor as hard as he could, he could transfer some of that slimy tainted feeling onto the son of a bitch. His hand tingled with more than the sting of the slap. San wanted to wash his hands with salt and alcohol if only to get rid of that disgusting aura.

He watched in satisfaction as the traitor jerked awake, eyes black with terror. “Wh-what? San? Where am I? What’s going on?” San moved aside to reveal Hongjoong, standing impassively behind him. Guleum visibly faltered. “Captain?”

“Cut the shit, traitor. We know what you’ve done,” barked Mingi.

“You gave the fucking map to Uloe,” spat Wooyoung, “you fucking betrayer.”

Guleum swallowed heavily. “Uloe? Map? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re a shit liar, Guleum. Captain gave strict orders that we were not to leave the ship without permission. We found you in Gangnam Style Plaza after handing the map to Uloe. He definitely didn’t give you permission for  _ that _ ,” snorted Yeosang sarcastically.

The bound man struggled in his bonds. “Listen, I didn’t do any of that! You don’t have any proof.”

Jongho spoke up, “Seonghwa heard you muttering to yourself. Someone broke into Yeosang’s room. The map was missing. I highly doubt that these were all coincidences.”

Guleum let out a high pitched laugh. “So you’re accusing me of being a traitor based solely on the word of a  _ siren? _ Just over a week ago the piece of shit was trying to kill our captain! I have been on this crew for a  _ year!  _ How could you possibly trust it more than me?”

San darted forward and kicked the man in the ribs. He didn’t feel anything break, but it was a near thing. “Don’t call him that. Seonghwa has done more for us than you ever have. You drink more than you contribute and you’re a shit fighter, so no one can count on you to have their back. I was surprised that you managed to survive the battle with Uloe’s crew, but I guess they were deliberately keeping you alive so you could fucking stab us in the back.”

Guleum gasped heavily in pain, hunching over as much as the ropes allowed, to alleviate the pressure on his ribs. They let him catch his breath. Finally, he said, “I told you. I don’t know anything!”

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong spoke up for the first time since their captive woke up. “Get me the truth.”

The siren narrowed his eyes and nodded. He opened his mouth and started to sing. Guleum laughed aloud. “That doesn’t work on me, you fucking fish!” Hongjoong held up a hand. Immediately, Seonghwa stopped singing.

“What do you mean, Guleum? No man can resist a siren’s song,” said Hongjoong dangerously.

Caught, Guleum gulped. “I found a magical coin. I’m immune to a siren’s voice now.”

San frowned mockingly. “So you randomly found a magical coin that makes you immune to a siren’s magic but didn’t think to tell your Captain? You just happened to find it? Oh, did you just  _ happen _ to break into Yeosang’s room as well and just  _ stumble _ on the map? Then did you just  _ randomly  _ make your way off the ship and into the heart of the city where you just gave Uloe the map  _ by chance? _ ”

“Y-yes?”

“Shut the fuck up,” this time it was Jongho flicking the man on the head with a single finger. Now, this may not sound very painful, but San knew for a fact that Jongho was actually a magical creature that possessed terrifying strength in his finger alone, so he almost felt sorry for the way Guleum’s head rocketed backwards, thunking painfully against the tree trunk.

“We actually found a coin on your person when we searched you earlier,” said Yunho nonchalantly. He obviously took great pleasure in seeing Guleum’s eyes widen in horror. “I wonder if the protection still works if it’s buried in the forest ground a kilometre away.”

Seonghwa started to sing again, a haunting, teasing melody. Like a snake coiling around its prey, the song wound around Guleum’s mind, constricting and squeezing until only the truth remained. Guleum’s eyes dimmed, and his body relaxed against the ropes. His face fell into a neutral expression and his protests trailed off before leaving the forest clearing silent except for Seonghwa’s singing.

The siren continued to sing, but more softly, gesturing for Hongjoong to start his questioning.

The captain stepped forward. “What is your name?”

“Lee Guleum,” came the toneless answer.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Captain Kim Hongjoong of the  _ ATEEZ _ .”

Hongjoong’s voice took on a more commanding tone. His infamous Glare slid into place, causing chills to run up San’s spine, despite the look not being aimed at him. “Did you steal the map to the Idol’s Eye and give it to Captain Uloe of the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ ?”

A pause. Then- “Yes.”

“How did you keep in contact with him?”

“I didn’t.”

Hongjoong tilted his head. “Then how did he know we were here?”

“Uloe gave me a magical pendant. It allows me to know where he is, and vice versa.”

This could be useful. San piped up, “can it be used one-way?”

“No. There is no way to block the connection. Both sides will always remain open.”

Well shit. San was thinking about keeping the pendant to keep track of Uloe but hide their own location. A look to Hongjoong confirmed that the captain was thinking the same thing.

Hongjoong turned away from Guleum briefly. “Yeosang. Take the pendant first. We could still find a use for it.”

Yeosang nodded and went to grab the pendant from where it lay forgotten on the ground.

The captain turned back to the traitor. “Did Uloe also give you the coin?”

“Yes.”

“I assume he also has one?”

Guleum spoke naturally, oblivious to the chaos his next words would incite. “Uloe learned from your last encounter. He acquired a coin for every single member of his crew to prevent the same thing from happening.”

Seonghwa’s singing cut off abruptly as the siren gasped audibly. Wooyoung and Mingi were screeching “every single crewmember?!”, while Yeosang restrained the blonde and Yunho tried to distract his boyfriend. Jongho looked like he was going to crush something with his bare hands, most likely Uloe’s skull. San was too busy watching Hongjoong move forwards to grasp Seonghwa’s panic-stricken face in his calloused palms.

The siren looked on the brink of a panic attack. His chest heaved up and down, each breath sawing through his lungs. His skin had paled significantly and his eyes had gone wild with emotion. Hongjoong was whispering quiet assurances, pausing now and then, presumably to listen to what Seonghwa was saying. 

San turned away from the private moment and quickly did the math in his head: Uloe’s crew had a total of eighteen people. Since the last battle, his crew number would have decreased slightly. San recalled that there were seven dead bodies after the battle: three of which were from the  _ ATEEZ _ crew and four of which belonged to Uloe’s bunch. That meant that there were fourteen Thieves.  _ Fourteen sirens died in that horrible way for those coins to be made. _ Jesus fucking Christ. San wanted to shoot something.

A few minutes later, the clearing had quietened, but Seonghwa was visibly angrier. Hongjoong hid his emotions better, but San knew that his captain was furious. The siren started to sing again, but this time there was no slow slide into a trance. Now, Seonghwa’s voice exploded in the clearing, wrenching Guleum’s mind away from his control with a scream. He quietened immediately, but a trickle of red dripped from his nose. Seonghwa did not care. San did not care. No one did at this point.

Hongjoong spoke up, his voice as sharp as flint. “Do they have anything else that could pose a threat?”

“They restocked on weapons.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

Hongjoong turned away. “We’re done here.”

“Wait,” said San. “Does Uloe know what a siren’s ‘sable call’ is?”

Guleum shook his head. “He did not mention anything of the sort to me.”

Disappointed but not surprised, San nodded to Hongjoong. The captain turned to the rest of the crew. “Any ideas about punishment?”

“I would say kill him, but that’s not our style,” said Yeosang casually.

“We could maroon him?” asked Yunho.

“Or cut out his eye,” snorted Mingi.

Seonghwa had stopped singing at this point. He tapped Hongjoong on the shoulder and the smirk he wore on his face promised his idea would be a good one. Hongjoong listened to the siren and then faced the rest of the group with a matching smirk.

“So apparently, Momoland is home to a group of water sprites. Usually, they are quite peaceful and live secretly around small islands. However, I just learned something very interesting about water sprite reproduction.”

“Uh, okay, that’s a bit of a weird kink, but how does this apply to our little situation?” asked San, wrinkling his nose.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. “Water sprites reproduce by sucking out the souls of wicked sailors, purifying them, and then placing them in a body of water, so the soul is reborn as a pure creature of the sea.”

Wooyoung laughed. “So are you saying all those pretty water sprites used to be evil old men?”

“Basically.” The captain turned to face their shaking captive. “I wonder if the sprites of Momoland are looking for a new member?”

Guleum started to whimper.

* * *

Hongjoong closed his eyes, concentrating on the pendant in his hands. The rest of the group remained in silence as he worked to find where exactly Uloe was hiding in Gangnam City.

Finally, the sandy-haired man opened his eyes. “They’re anchored on the other side of the island. Pretty well hidden. Let’s head back to the  _ ATEEZ _ .”

He handed the pendant to Wooyoung. “Woo, when we get to the docks, find out which ship is leaving the port next and give one of the crewmembers the pendant. I don’t care how or who you give it to, just make sure the pendant is on the ship when it leaves.” The surgeon nodded. “You got it, Captain.”

“I’ll lead an attack team to go get the map. It should be a small group for stealth. We’ll also have to get rid of the Thieves,” continued Hongjoong. “San, Yeosang, Yunho. You’re coming with me. Jongho, Mingi, stay on the ship and prepare to leave right away. I’m hoping we won’t need it, but a quick getaway won’t hurt. Seonghwa, stay with them, okay? I don’t like the idea of you being around so many Thieves.” The siren nodded but looked ill at the prospect of encountering so many coins. Hongjoong smiled reassuringly. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently.

The eight of them looked at each other, faces determined. Hongjoong felt proud of them, his crew, his family, his team. “Eight makes one team.” he whispered. 

They were going to get that map back. Uloe wasn't going to know what hit him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah I forgot: Guleum (구름) means cloud, linking to the whole storm = bad guy's theme.


	15. Old habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another BAMF ateez chapter, because I can't help myself. Also, flirting. And kissing.

They steered the  _ ATEEZ _ to about a kilometre away from where the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ was anchored, before Hongjoong, San, Yeosang and Yunho left to travel the rest of the way on foot. Hongjoong left Mingi in charge, as Jongho was busy guarding Guleum in the hold and Wooyoung was off getting rid of the pendant.

The four of them ran the last kilometre: it was almost dawn, and Hongjoong wanted to leave without a fight, as they were outnumbered. The crew of the  _ ATEEZ  _ currently had eleven members, twelve if you count Seonghwa. Although Uloe’s crew wasn’t much larger, all his men were much older than the majority of Hongjoong’s crew and were therefore much more experienced. 

But the core members of the crew had come together through a stealth mission: this was their forte. What they lacked in experience, they made up for in raw talent and physicality. Hongjoong didn’t need a state of the art ship or fancy weapons. He just needed his team.

As they approached the ship, Hongjoong heard two voices on deck. Two guards then. He signalled to San and Yunho. They nodded. Creeping on board, Hongjoong deliberately tapped his sword against the side of the ship, creating a clanging noise. The two guards looked up, only for San and Yunho to grab them in a headlock, cutting off the air supply and quickly knocking them unconscious without even making a noise. They searched each guard and slipped their Thieves into their pockets.

Moving on, they crept throughout the ship, knocking out enemy crewmembers and taking their Thieves, until all that was left was Uloe and the map. They plastered themselves to the wall outside the captain’s quarters and Hongjoong tested the door. Locked. This wasn’t a problem: Hongjoong had been picking locks and stealing wallets long before he became a pirate.

It was within mere moments that the lock was sliding open with a click. Hongjoong smirked and stowed his lockpicks swiftly before cautiously pushing open the door to peek inside. Uloe was asleep. Hongjoong had Yunho and Yeosang keep watch while he and San moved inside.

The two of them automatically searched half the room each. San tapped his shoulder and held up a Thief, pointing to Uloe’s coat, which was slung over the back of his chair. But there was still no map. Once they determined that the map wasn’t at Uloe’s desk, or in any chests, Hongjoong looked to the man himself: it must be on his person.

Hongjoong crept forward and visually scanned Uloe for any sign of the map. There! He spotted the edge of a piece of parchment peeking out from the inside of Uloe’s shirt. The younger captain slowly and carefully reached his hand out and pinched the edge of the paper between his index finger and thumb, and cautiously started to tug on it. The map began to shift, emerging from the inside of the shirt. Just as the map was almost free, Uloe muttered in his sleep and made to roll over in his bed. Eyes wide with panic, Hongjoong pulled the sheaf of paper out fully, chest heaving with adrenaline. He waved the map at San, who was biting his nails in anxiousness, watching the events unfold. The two of them grinned at each other. A sudden rap on the door brought them back to earth. Right. They still had to get off the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ unnoticed.

“Captain, we have to go,” hissed Yeosang through the door.

San pushed the door open and Hongjoong tucked the map securely in his coat. “Let’s go.”

Just then, there was a loud cry. “Intruders! Intruders on board! Raise the alarm!”

_ Fuck! _ The four  _ ATEEZ _ crewmembers exchanged panicked looks. Hoongjoong turned on his heel and raced towards the gangplank. He spotted one of Uloe’s crew besides it. The man saw where Hongjoong was heading and cut the ropes supporting the gangplank so that the walkway plummeted to the sandy shore below. Hongjoong didn’t even pause: the sandy-haired pirate launched himself over the railing, tucking and landing in a roll beside the wooden plank, the roll and the soft sand cushioning his rather lengthy fall. He felt rather than saw San, Yunho and Yeosang follow him, as he led the group towards the forest, ducking and weaving through the trees. He looked over his shoulder to see the majority of the enemy crew staring at them from the railings of the ship, Uloe standing at the forefront, still in his sleep clothes with an undignified cowlick and pillow marks pressed into his face. Hongjoong snorted and shot him the bird as he melted into the forest after his crew. The last Uloe saw of the younger captain was the gleam of Hongjoong’s smirk amongst the darkness of the early dawn.

* * *

They raced back to the  _ ATEEZ,  _ looping around and detouring a bit in the forest in case they decided to follow them. They emerged from the tree line and Hongjoong saw Mingi lower the rope ladder. They hurriedly climbed it and immediately set sail. As the  _ ATEEZ  _ finally reached deeper water, with no pursuers in sight, Hongjoong finally relaxed. He slumped against the wall of the ship, spotting the others that had accompanied him do the same.

“Holy shit,” panted Yunho. “I can’t believe that fucking worked.”

Hongjoong let out an incredulous laugh and pulled the map from inside his coat. “Well, it did. We fucking got the map back, boys.”

There was a cheer as Wooyoung hauled the captain to his feet in order to give him a crushing hug. The surgeon turned around and gave Yeosang and Yunho equally enthusiastic hugs, but launched himself at San and fairly suffocated the taller man in kisses. Yunho leered at them and wolf-whistled obnoxiously until he was tugged into a strong back hug by his own partner. Mingi tilted the brunet’s head into a tender kiss as he tightened his grip around his boyfriend’s waist. Yeosang rolled his eyes at them but flushed endearingly when Jongho pressed a teasing peck to his cheek. The navigator raised one numb hand to his cheek before shyly returning the kiss on Jongho’s opposite cheek. It was the maknae’s turn to blush.

Hongjoong watched all of this occur with an exasperated look on his face. Seonghwa came to stand beside him.  _ ‘Feeling left out?’ _

Before Hongjoong could come up with a proper response, he felt Seonghwa pull his head down slightly to press his lips against Hongjoong’s forehead in a sweet smooch.  _ ‘Once you stop reeking of dark magic and get rid of those Thieves, I might give you a little more than that,’  _ teased the siren, delighting in the dazed look Hongjoong had on his face.

The captain snapped out of it. “Right. Someone find me some magical perfume. I don’t care what it smells like, I need it right now.”

The crew laughed aloud in the bright light of the morning sun, teasing their captain and celebrating their victory over Uloe. Seonghwa cherished the wide, genuine smile Hongjoong had stretched over his face, surrounded by family and friends.

_ Yes,  _ thought the siren,  _ this man is worth it. _

* * *

They sailed away from Gangnam City and back towards Momoland, in order to bury the Thieves away from the water and carry out Guleum’s punishment. Once they anchored, the seven of them (San was looking after the ship) got into two rowboats, dragging a struggling Guleum with them into the dingy. They arrived quickly, and Yunho immediately scooped up the pouch of Thieves and moved inland to bury them. Seonghwa looked much more comfortable once Yunho had disappeared amongst the foliage with the coins, glad that they were far away from him.

The siren grabbed Hongjoong’s hand and made his way around the edge of the island until they came across a small cove. To Hongjoong, it looked completely deserted - picturesque as all uninhabited islands were - but empty. But Seonghwa walked confidently to the shore and then removed his shoes. He stepped into the water until the hems of his pants were soaked and just tilted his head back and enjoyed the feeling of water washing over his feet. Hongjoong felt a slight flash of guilt: Seonghwa had been in human form since that fateful day at Sumni’s cove. It must be uncomfortable for the siren, but Seonghwa had never once complained.

Just as Hongjoong was about to say something, Seonghwa began to sing. It was like a cool breeze drifting through the still air, chilling Hongjoong slightly and relieving the oppressive heat of the tropics. It almost ruffled through his sandy hair like affectionate fingers, carding through the long strands gently. The pirate was distracted by the flowing song, but a splash from the shallows before him had his attention focused solely on the water.

There were bubbles appearing over the surface of the water until the whole cove was covered with seafoam. Then, two figures rose out of the waves, but upon closer inspection, Hongjoong noticed that the figures were made entirely out of water: their skin was transparent and crystalline, and their hair and eyebrows and such were made out of delicate seafoam. Both figures were female: the one in front had pretty almond-shaped eyes the colour of the sky on a clear day and her medium length hair flowed freely down her back; the other had her hair in two side braids (how do you braid water?) and had a mischievous smile on her thick, full lips. Seonghwa stopped singing and his face split into a happy smile.  _ ‘Nancy, Jooe, it’s good to see you again.’ _

The water sprites giggled, and then the one with the braids spoke:  _ ‘Seonghwa, it’s been a while!’  _ Her voice came to Hongjoong the same way Seonghwa’s did, but he wasn’t expecting to hear the water sprite’s voice in his head, so he jumped slightly in surprise. The other water sprite smiled at his reaction.  _ ‘And with a human no less.’ _

_ ‘Right.’ _ Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong.  _ ‘Captain Kim Hongjoong, meet Nancy and Jooe.’ _

Hongjoong waved awkwardly. “Hello.”

Jooe, the one with the braids, laughed aloud.  _ ‘Cute! He’s definitely a keeper. Anyway, dear siren friend of mine, why have you returned to our island? We saw you here before, and now you have returned not even two days later.’ _

Seonghwa smirked.  _ ‘We have a gift. I thought you might enjoy it.’ _

Hongjoong signalled for Jongho and Yeosang to bring Guleum forward. The man was bound with thick rope, and he looked both petrified and infatuated with the water sprites.

_ ‘We recently discovered this man had betrayed us. We were searching for a suitable punishment, but I proposed we give him to you instead. Are you interested?’  _ asked Seonghwa.

Nancy tilted her head,  _ ‘his soul reeks of lies and traitorous thoughts. I think he will make a wonderful addition to our group.’  _ The water sprites behind her, who had up until now remained silent and formless, were starting to appear and curiously inspect the terrified pirate. He flinched back every time one stretched out their arm to touch him, whimpering behind his gag. Hongjoong stepped forward. “I’m glad you are willing to take him off our hands. You have my gratitude,” he bowed his head respectfully.

_ ‘Well then, it’s best not to waste any time. We’ll get started right away,’ _ Jooe clapped her watery hands together,  _ ‘you’re all welcome to stay and watch if you like, but extracting a soul can be difficult to watch.’ _

Hongjoong snorted. “My crew is made of sterner stuff than that, Jooe-ssi. We’re not entirely innocent either: if you had refused to take him, I would have given him to the sharks by making him walk the plank. I’m honestly not sure which one the bastard would dislike more.”

_ ‘Trust me, Hongjoong, this is worse. This is  _ way  _ worse,’ _ said Seonghwa, a dark look in his eyes. Hongjoong smiled. “Perfect. Shall we begin?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only included Nancy and Jooe because they are the Momoland members that I am most familiar with.
> 
> On another note:  
> Yeosang/Jongho - the couple that holds hands and tease each other only when around friends
> 
> Yunho/Mingi - the couple that loves PDA and are not shy about their relationship (also yunhoE)
> 
> San/Wooyoung - the couple that has so much chemistry they need to be in a science lab (the one with the secret handshake and codenames and their own secret language)
> 
> Hongjoong/Seonghwa - the couple that is basically married and so comfortable in their partner's presence that no words need to be spoken


	16. Holy fucking shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god oh god oh god sorry this is so late 🙏🙏🙏
> 
> Thank you guys so much for 200 kudos! I appreciate every single one of them. 💙
> 
> Detective Seonghwa and Detective Hongjoong are on the case! Also a major woosan moment. 
> 
> Warning: reference to San's father's suicide.

Hongjoong watched in awe and horror as the water sprites literally pulled Guleum’s soul from his body. A different water sprite essentially shoved her arm down his throat and  _ yanked _ , pulling something round and glowing from within the gasping pirate. The second the globe left his lips, Guleum’s body burst apart into seaspray, leaving the dusky sickly looking ball of light in the water sprite’s hand. All of them started to chant in a mystical ethereal language and the water began to froth and churn. The chanting filled the air - the building energy increasing until the very sand beneath Hongjoong’s boots felt like they were vibrating. The water started to spin, gaining speed until there was a full-blown whirlpool, despite the cove being no more than three feet deep at the point. As the speed increased, the whirlpool somehow  _ inverted itself _ , spiralling upwards into the air.

Suddenly, the water sprite holding Guleum’s soul in her hand thrust it into the water pillar and immediately the entire cove fell silent. It was like the movement stopped time entirely. Hongjoong wasn’t even sure he was breathing. He watched as the soul was suspended in that column of water, before ever so slowly, the murky grey and streaks of black in the light began to disperse until there was nothing left but a pure white glowing sphere. Gradually, the pillar of water began to change its shape: forming a distinct head and body, four limbs, long flowing hair, and delicate watery features. The new water sprite opened her eyes and the soul that had been shining in the centre of her chest, near her heart, disappeared in a flash, leaving only a normal water sprite standing there. Then her eyes rolled up into her head and her body dissolved in a splash.

Hongjoong must have made a startled noise because Seonghwa simply smiled reassuringly.  _ ‘Don’t worry, she just needs rest now.’ _ He turned to the water sprites.  _ ‘You have my gratitude.’  _ Jooe beamed in return.  _ ‘And you have ours. Next time don’t take too long to visit us again, Seonghwa! We miss you. We’re glad that you seem so much freer now, happier.’ _

The siren blushed.  _ ‘I am,’  _ he replied, shyly looking towards Hongjoong. The pirate let his lips part in a small but heartfelt smile.

An idea struck him. “Seonghwa,” said Hongjoong, “would you like for us to stay here for a while? We need to analyse the map again anyway, and in this way, you can stay with your friends during that time.”

The siren looked shocked.  _ ‘Really? You would allow that?’ _

“Of course,” snorted Hongjoong, slightly offended that Seonghwa would think him to be so unkind, “and I know you must be missing your natural form, so if you like, you could even transform into your true siren form for a while.”

Seonghwa openly gaped at him.  _ ‘Y-you… you trust me that much?’ _

Hongjoong nodded. “You promised you’d stay with us. I believe you. That’s enough for me.” He patted the siren on the back fondly and walked towards where the others were standing, missing the absolutely besotted look Seonghwa was aiming at his back, while the siren’s water sprite friends giggled and swooned beyond him.

* * *

It had been about three hours since they had made temporary camp beside the cove, and Hongjoong was ready to either pull his hair out or smash his face into a rock. They had fetched San from the  _ ATEEZ,  _ believing that the crew could handle themselves for a couple of hours, and the seven of them had settled around the map in the sand, trying to decode the riddle or work out a new heading that didn’t lead them straight to Momoland, that is to say, right here.

While Yeosang explained for the hundredth time why it couldn’t possibly lead to anywhere else, Hongjoong allowed himself a moment’s distraction why watching as Seonghwa frolicked in the shallows with the water sprites.

Hongjoong had forgotten how beautiful Seonghwa’s natural form was: iridescent red scales trailing down from his navel transitioning smoothly from pale unblemished skin into an enchanting scarlet fishtail. As he splashed around the shoreline, the siren would let out loud unrestrained laughs, full of mirth and happiness. He would leap and twist in the bright sunlight, before diving back into the cool, refreshing water. He shaped the waves and corralled the current, letting his magic stretch after being curbed for so long.

But no matter how much Seonghwa played around in the water, the siren never strayed too far away, making it clear that he had no intention of leaving Hongjoong. And the pirate felt warm at Seonghwa’s trustworthiness, a far cry to how their relationship started.

“Urgh.” A groan from San interrupted Hongjoong’s serene thoughts. “We’re getting nowhere. We should return to the ship - get out of this heat, get some food, come back to it later. We didn’t even sleep last night - we’ve literally been awake for over a day. We need to rest.”

Hongjoong agreed: honestly, he was exhausted - they had spent the previous day searching Momoland, then travelling to Gangnam City, discovering the map had been stolen, tracking down and interrogating Guleum, retrieving the map from Uloe, escaping and then returning to Momoland. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep for a week, but there’s no rest for the wicked.

The captain hated to cut Seonghwa’s time with his friends short, but they had to get going. “Seonghwa! We’re heading back to the ship.” He saw the siren nod before Seonghwa turned back to the water sprites and gave them a quick round of hugs. Then he began making his way towards the shore.

Hongjoong could see the exact moment Seonghwa changed into his human form because he stumbled and fell to his knees. The siren cried out as the delicate skin of his knees collided harshly with the sharp rocks. Instinctively, Hongjoong was sprinting forward, scooping the siren into his lap, and tossing Seonghwa’s discarded shirt onto his groin area to preserve the siren’s modesty. He inspected the cuts that were bleeding black blood sluggishly. Hongjoong heard Wooyoung crouch down beside him and inspect the wound.

“Not too bad. It won’t even require you to heal yourself,” the surgeon was saying, but Seonghwa’s gaze was locked onto his bleeding cuts with a focus that disturbed the captain. Suddenly the siren whipped his head around and grasped Hongjoong’s hand in his.

_ ‘Hongjoong! The riddle - what does ‘sable’ mean again?’ _ he asked frantically.

The pirate blinked. “Uh, it means black or dark coloured, I think. But Seonghwa, what does this have to do with-” He froze. His eyes locked onto the siren’s  _ black _ blood.

_ ‘When I fell, I cried out. Sirens bleed black blood. What if the riddle didn’t mean a magical cry, but a cry of pain?’  _ Seonghwa and Hongjoong started at each other with wide eyes. “Yeosang!” yelled Hongjoong excitedly. “Bring the map here!”

When the navigator handed over the parchment in confusion, Hongjoong snatched it from his grasp and gently dabbed a corner of the paper in Seonghwa’s blood. The liquid seeped into the parchment, staining the paper inky black. Then, the colour faded, but the writing that had been covered by the blood had changed. It had rearranged itself.

Hongjoong gasped. “Holy fucking shit. We’re idiots.”

Seonghwa grabbed Jongho knife from him and sliced his hand open. There were several yells of surprise and protest when the siren did this, but he just took the map from Hongjoong and started to soak it in his blood.  _ ‘Don’t worry, I’ll heal myself later.’ _

The eight of them watched in fascination as the black colour faded away leaving the map dry and pristine as before, but definitely different. Yeosang reached for the map and began to inspect it frantically, eyes darting to and fro. His handsome face split into a blinding grin.

“I know where it is! No man has ever seen ITZY Island before, but I know where to find it.”

Hongjoong blinked in shock. “Holy fucking shit,” he repeated. Seonghwa looked just as shaken.  _ ‘Holy fucking shit,’  _ he agreed. Hongjoong startled at hearing the siren swear. Another “holy fucking shit” escaped his lips. 

They could do this. They could actually do this! 

* * *

The journey from Momoland to ITZY Island was a long  _ long _ one: about two weeks straight of travelling. They usually only bought enough supplies to last a week and a half, so they restocked along the way. Hongjoong would take Seonghwa into each marketplace they came across and would buy all sorts of treats and trinkets for the siren to enjoy - he particularly loved chocolates and strawberries. The almost orgasmic noise he made when he tried them made Hongjoong blush to the roots of his hair and he couldn’t look the siren in the eye for the rest of the day.

He bought the siren his own clothes, so he didn’t have to keep wearing the old threadbare shirt and pants he had been sporting for the last week. Hongjoong would admit he spoiled the siren a little: one look from those blue-brown eyes had the pirate asking for the price immediately.

While Hongjoong genuinely did enjoy showering the siren in gifts, he hated to admit that in truth, he was worried. After this whole adventure was over and the treasure was within his grasp, Seonghwa would no longer have any reason to stay. He would leave to return to his life under the sea, to Chungha and his other family. And he would leave Hongjoong behind. So. The pirate was not  _ bribing _ him exactly, but. Well. He was, technically. But. Well… Hongjoong didn’t want Seonghwa to go.

It was in one such moment of vulnerability that San cornered his captain: Hongjoong was leaning against the back railing at the stern of the ship, somewhere he had unconsciously started to think of as his and Seonghwa’s spot. He was watching as the siren swam below him, basking in the wake of the ship - ever since their return to Momoland, Hongjoong had allowed Seonghwa to regularly turn into his siren form to swim alongside the  _ ATEEZ _ since the siren had obviously missed it so much. Seonghwa had been delighted, and carefully kept pace with the ship, despite the vessel charging ahead at full speed.

San came to a stop beside his friend and leaned over the railing to watch Seonghwa frolic amongst the churning water below them. He didn’t say anything, simply allowing Hongjoong to gather his courage to tell him what he needed.

“San-ah, how did you know you loved Wooyoung?” he asked finally.

San sighed. “You know from the beginning that I thought Woo was the hottest piece of ass in town.” Hongjoong snorted. “But for the longest time, I denied myself. You know that my mother abandoned us, and then my father killed himself. I knew that he loved me to some extent, but obviously not enough to live. I was too scared to let Woo in,” continued the quartermaster.

“Nightmares are not uncommon for us. We’ve been through enough shit. But the anniversary of my father’s death was approaching and my dreams were absolutely horrid. I would wake up screaming most nights. But Woo shared the bunk next to me. And then one day, before I was about to fall asleep for what was no doubt going to be a terrible night, Wooyoung climbed into my bunk. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, ‘I’m going to stay with you,’ and then he just went to sleep right there. Later that night, when I woke up from my nightmare, Wooyoung was stroking my hair and singing to me. Having him there helped: I slept peacefully for the nest of the night. The next day, Wooyoung did the same thing. And the next and the next, until the day my father died rolled around. I refused to sleep, so Wooyoung stayed up with me the whole night. We talked and talked and he even made me laugh a couple of times. It was when he first told me a joke so funny that I choked on my spit on the anniversary of the worst day of my life that I knew that I loved him.”

Hongjoong soaked it in. “I never knew you struggled that much,” he whispered guiltily. San just nudged his shoulder into his hyung’s. “I know. I kept my vulnerability hidden from everyone. Woo found out by accident. Don’t blame yourself, hyung. I don’t hate you for it, so you shouldn’t hate yourself either.”

They stayed silent for a couple more minutes before Hongjoong spoke up again. “I think I love him, San-ah.”

San watched his hyung. Ever since they met the siren, Hongjoong was much freer with the crew. He smiled more and relaxed more. Before Seonghwa, his captain’s laughs were few and far between, and it was only San or Yunho who were able to coax out genuine laughs from the man. But then Seonghwa had shown up and Hongjoong’s icy demeanour had started to melt away.

“If you love him, then tell him. Just don’t forget that other people love you too.”

Hongjoong stared at San with wide emotional eyes. Then he pulled the younger into a rough hug. Everything they needed to say was heard loud and clear through the embrace. Hongjoong pulled away and cleared his throat brusquely. “Ahem. Right. Mr Choi, don’t you have someplace to be?”

The quartermaster snorted. “You do as well don’t you, Captain?”

The said captain turned back to watch the siren and the ocean. “Yes, but I’ll go in a moment.”

“Whatever you say, hyung.” San slapped Hongjoong on the shoulder before heading off, smiling slightly at the sight of his captain so content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOSAN FOR LIFE YALL. ALSO JOONGIE IS IN LURVVVV 😍🥰😘😍🥰😘


	17. Land Ho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello y'all, for once I'm not like 7 hours late 😁😁
> 
> Today we have some more flirting and some more treasure hunting. 
> 
> Onwards!

For the rest of the trip, Hongjoong repeatedly tried to scrounge up his courage to just tell Seonghwa how he felt, but each time he opened his mouth to say something, he chickened out. He could see San watching him from out of the corner of his eye, rolling his eyes each time Hongjoong changed the subject.

And Hongjoong himself didn’t know why he was too afraid to just say those three words. Maybe it’s because he’s never said them before. Sure, he loved his crew, his family, but they all knew that. They never needed him to say it. But Seonghwa… Seonghwa was different. Hongjoong spent many a night making up speeches in his head and rehearsing them, but the moment he made to say them, the words died on his tongue.  _ Urgh. _

This continued for the duration of the journey to ITZY Island. On the twelfth day of travel, Wooyoung let out a call from the crow’s nest: “Captain! Dead ahead - there’s a shit ton of fog. It just appeared out of nowhere!”

“Should we head around it?” asked Jongho, who was with Hongjoong at the helm. The captain narrowed his eyes. “Yeosang? What do you think?”

The navigator pulled out the map again. He raised his head. “We head straight into the fog. ITZY Island. It’s dead ahead.”

“But Captain,” yelled Mingi, “We can’t see anything if we go in there! We’ll be sailing blind! It’s suicide.”

“No!” called Yeosang, “We have to. The island is in the centre of the fog.”

Just then, the ship reached the very edge of the mist. Almost as if he was in a trance, Seonghwa stepped forward. He reached out his hand to touch the swirling grey smog. The second his hand made contact with the fog, the siren stiffened and a surprised cry escaped his lips.

“Seonghwa!” shouted Hongjoong, leaping down the stairs to rush to his side. The siren spun around at his yell. His eyes were two pinpricks of solid gold.  _ ‘Hongjoong, I’m alright,’  _ he panted, straightening.

The sandy-haired pirate continued to examine Seonghwa physically. The siren gently lifted Hongjoong’s chin to lock eyes with him.  _ ‘I know what to do. Trust me. Please.’ _

Hongjoong nodded slowly. “I do. What do you need?”

The siren smiled.  _ ‘I need you all to sail straight into the mist. Blindfolded.’ _

“What?” asked Hongjoong, in shock.

_ ‘Please, Hongjoong,’  _ said Seonghwa,  _ ‘no man can find the island. Only a creature of the ocean can. The mist is magical. You  _ must not  _ look into the fog. Or the magic will destroy you from within.’ _

“Then how can we possibly steer the  _ ATEEZ _ ?” 

_ ‘I will guide you,’ _ said Seonghwa confidently.  _ ‘You only need your ears and your hands. Trust me, Hongjoong.’ _

The pirate captain inhaled deeply. He turned to face the rest of his crew. “Find a strip of cloth for each person. Tie it around your eyes securely, make absolutely sure you cannot see anything. Be ready at your stations in three minutes.”

“Aye, captain!” chorused the crew. Hongjoong moved to join the other core members of his crew. “Are you sure about this, hyung?” asked Yunho. “Seonghwa says it’s the only way through the mist. I believe him,” replied Hongjoong stubbornly. “Then let’s get moving,” barked San, heading off to find himself a blindfold.

Hongjoong watched the other’s disperse.  _ ‘Thank you,’  _ whispered Seonghwa, taking his hand tentatively. He squeezed it in response. “No need.” He let go and headed up to the helm, where he pulled out a long strip of fabric he used as a spare cloth belt. He tied the maroon material around his eyes, effectively darkening the whole world.

_ ‘Let the song guide you.’ _

A low hum filled the air. A lonely and ethereal voice started to sing. The single sound sliced through the silence like a hot knife through butter. With his vision limited, Hongjoong felt Seonghwa’s power tenfold. The siren’s song cleared his mind, like when you wash away the dirt on your hands, leaving your skin feeling clean and fresh. Hongjoong imagined Seonghwa standing at the bow of his ship, eyes focused and face drawn. Ready.

And then, Seonghwa’s voice changed. It took on a more commanding edge, and Hongjoong felt his hands tighten on the helm.  _ ‘Begin.’ _

Hongjoong heard the familiar sound of the sails snapping open to their fullest extent: the wind having picked up suddenly. The ship lurched forward, earning startled shouts from the crew. However, they quickly quietened. Hongjoong estimated that they travelled straight ahead for about five minutes, and then Seonghwa’s gentle voice shifted once more. ‘ _ To port. Turn to port.’ _

The captain turned the wheel obediently. He felt the rest of the crew follow his lead. The song continued to weave around them, pulling them this way and that, urging their hands in the right direction.

_ ‘Pick up speed here. _

_ Hard to starboard. _

_ Reduce speed. _

_ Turn a little to port. _

_ Straighten off.’ _

Hongjoong listened to every command, the ship following his firm hands like a well-trained horse. He could feel the  _ ATEEZ _ around him, responding to his every wish. The crew moved flawlessly, steered by Seonghwa’s song and instinct alone.

Time seemed to stretch into hours but was, in reality, nothing more than twenty minutes. But then a different command came to them:  _ ‘we’re here. Weigh anchor.’ _ Excitedly, the crew moved about, lowering the anchor and stopping the ship. 

_ ‘You may now remove the blindfolds. But don’t look into the fog. The visions you see there are false and dangerous. Keep your eyes lowered.’ _

Hongjoong didn’t know exactly if the other crewmembers could hear Seonghwa, but as soon as the siren gave the word, everyone shed their blindfolds and resolutely kept their eyes fixed on the ground.

Seonghwa stepped forward. Hongjoong could see the tips of his boots at the edge of his field of vision.  _ ‘Thank you for trusting me. Now, on your left is the island. You can look if you like.’ _

The pirate captain raised his eyes tentatively towards his left and gasped when he saw the magnificent picturesque scene. “ITZY Island…” he whispered reverently.

The island was covered in a large sprawling forest of the brightest emerald green. The sandy shore sparkled like diamonds in the distance, glowing in the bright sunlight. An enormous mountain resided in the centre of the island, rising to a fine point, like the tip of an arrowhead. The sky was a peerless sapphire blue dotted with fluffy opaque clouds. It was so idyllic that Hongjoong could swear he saw a fucking rainbow.

But the beautiful landscape was marred by the hazy mist that surrounded the island that lay in the centre of the fog like the eye in the storm. There was something odd about that mist. Even disregarding Seonghwa’s many warnings, the shimmering fog gave off a distinctly uneasy feeling. Hongjoong didn’t like it. It made him feel off-balance and unstable.

Snapping out of it, Hongjoong barked out an order: “Right, listen up, you blubbering bunch of bilge rats! I am going ashore with Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, so the rest of you will have to wait here until we come back. I suggest that you all go below decks, just in case one of you look into the fog by accident. So just sit back, relax and let the treasure come to  _ you _ .”

There was some grumbling as Hongjoong announced who would be coming with him, but since his close affinity with the specified crewmembers is no secret and no surprise, they settled relatively quickly. They knew Hongjoong was no push-over and always kept his word - why do any of the searching when their captain was going to bring the bounty right to them?

As Hongjoong addressed the crew, Wooyoung and Mingi worked to lower the rowboat that would take the eight of them to shore, while San and Jongho gathered up their necessary supplies.

The pirates and the siren rowed rapidly towards the beach in record time, thanks to Seonghwa’s magical help. They hopped out of the boat eagerly and Hongjoong turned to Yeosang, who had the map out. “It looks like the treasure is inside the mountain,” he said, “the entrance is at the very top but by the looks of the map, there is a secret exit somewhere closer to the bottom, which is a relief because we don’t have to lug heavy chests of treasure down that steep-ass slope. I don’t think we will be able to find this exit, so we really have only one choice.”

“Climb,” groaned Wooyoung.

Yeosang nodded. “Aye. From here on out, it should be pretty straightforward.”

“You mean straight upwards. That mountain is so fucking steep, it might as well be a wall,” muttered Mingi, squinting up at the top of the hill with his one good eye.

Hongjoong just sighed. “Well, we better get going. Bring the torches and the packs of emergency food and water. Just in case.”

With that order, the eight of them began the long climb.

* * *

“I swear - to fucking God - I am actually going to die,” panted Mingi, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Beside him, Jongho was wiping his forehead with a loose piece of cloth. Yeosang leant against the maknae, gasping for air desperately. The rest of the group weren’t much better, especially Seonghwa, who was unused to walking for such a long time. The siren was drenched in sweat, so much that the new scarlet loose-fitting shirt that Hongjoong had bought for him had drenched through with the salty liquid, turning the ruby colour into a dark maroon. The fabric was plastered to the siren’s skin in a debauched way, the siren’s abs showing obscenely. Hongjoong almost tripped over and tumbled down the hill when he first noticed Seonghwa’s state, so he was determinedly keeping his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, in order to avoid tripping and as well as keeping his eyes adverted from the siren’s leanly muscled body.

“Can we-” spluttered Wooyoung, “please - take a break?”

Hongjoong nodded shallowly to keep his head from spinning any faster. “We rest for five minutes.”

They collapsed into an exhausted heap on the side of the mountain, sharing the food and drink they had brought amongst themselves. Hongjoong gratefully took a swig from the waterskin Yunho passed to him, before watching Seonghwa out of the corner of his eye again. Hongjoong saw how Seonghwa looked uncomfortable and pale - instead of dripping in sweat like the pirates, the siren’s skin looked dry and tight, as if his body didn’t know how to react to hiking up a mountain in the afternoon sun, so it was hoarding all of the liquid it could.

The captain reached over and dumped the rest of the contents of the waterskin over Seonghwa’s head. The siren let out a surprised yelp at the sudden coolness. Bewildered kaleidoscopic eyes met peerless grey. Hongjoong’s lip quirked at the siren’s shocked expression. “You looked like you needed it.” The siren said nothing in response, merely touching the back of the other’s hand gently, a nonverbal thanks.

Two minutes later, Seonghwa looked much better. His skin regained that pearly glow and the scales that were dotted around his temples and on his arms shone brighter, like rubies. Even his hair looked revitalised - the black locks regaining their previous lustre. 

Hongjoong smiled at what he saw and whistled sharply. “Alright you lot, let’s get moving.” The group pulled themselves up amidst grunts and groans. The captain headed over to Yeosang, who was studying the map intently. “How much further until we find the entrance?”

The navigator smiled tiredly. “Not far, thankfully. If we keep up this pace, we’ll reach the top in no more than half an hour. There should be some sort of guide to indicate where the entranceway is.”

“Then let’s get going. The sooner we get away from this island, the better.” Hongjoong still did not like the look of that mist. From where they stood, he could see the entire north side of the island and the ocean around it. He spotted the tiny figure that was the  _ ATEEZ _ floating in the shallows, but the impenetrable fog blanketed the surrounding ocean like a thick ring. It was unnatural and suspicious, but right now Hongjoong had other priorities. He just hoped that the rest of the crew were smart enough to stay below decks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol Hongjoong is WHIPPED.
> 
> Also, some people may be a bit confused:  
> \- Seonghwa can only speak to Hongjoong telepathically, but for this part the crew feel his presence in their heads, guiding them.   
> \- there are a whole bunch of rocks around the island, so that's why they have to turn left or right or whatever. 
> 
> Lastly, Seonghwa's abs. That's it. That's all I have to say.


	18. Lord Beckett, they've started to sing, sir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour y'all! Today's chapter is basically me paying homage to the most iconic pirates movie franchise ever: Pirates of the Caribbean, because I love Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.
> 
> There is a disclaimer in the end notes, but I won't put it up here because of spoilers for this chapter.

Since the road was only one-way, Hongjoong took the lead. Overhead, the sun began to sink into the sea, setting the sky on fire. The clouds turned to smoke and the shadows blossomed until the slimmest glimmer of orange illuminated the rocky path before the pirates. That too disappeared, leaving the world on the tipping point between day and night. Just as the last vestiges of light faded, Hongjoong skid to a halt.

There was a collective yelp from the group behind him as they stumbled into one another, stopped by Hongjoong’s abrupt pause. “Captain?” asked Yunho, but he was quickly silenced when said captain held up his hand. He drew his sword quietly and crept forward. The others did the same, their eyes straining to catch sight of what had Hongjoong so spooked. 

Sword outstretched, Hongjoong cautiously approached the darkened figure. As he got closer, he could see that the shape was slender and shorter than him. Upon closer inspection, he realised that it was a statue of a girl. She stood at the entrance of a large cave that seemed to lead into an inky tunnel. The girl’s features were delicate: she had dainty eyes and a small mouth. Even though it was just a statue, Hongjoong knew that whoever she was, this girl was kind beyond measure. She was wearing a flowing gossamer gown that looked soft to the touch despite being made of stone. The girl had her hand outstretched towards the path that the group had just come up, almost beckoning them over. A life-like smile played across her lips. In fact, the entire statue looked alive - if it wasn’t for the grey colour of the stone, Hongjoong would think that she was merely holding her breath. Her eyes seemed to follow him as he came to a stop before her. Unconsciously, he sheathed his sword. To hold a weapon in her presence felt almost sacrilegious.

San tilted his head curiously. He crouched down to look at a small tablet on the ground by her feet. “It says ‘Lia, second daughter of Poseidon.’” Seonghwa’s head snapped towards him.  _ ‘What? Did he just say “Lia”?’ _

“Yeah. Why? Who is she?” asked Hongjoong.

To their surprise, Seonghwa fell to his knees in a deep bow. The pirates watched in shock as the siren prostrated himself before the statue. After a beat, he stood up, brushing the dust off his pants.  _ ‘Lia was the second born daughter of the sea god Poseidon. She was the first sea nymph to ever exist. Every single sea nymph out there today is her descendant. She was known as the Guide. Lost sailors would find their way home thanks to her, whether it be through helpful currents or a lucky wind, Lia brought them home.’ _

Stunned silence followed Hongjoong’s repetition of Seonghwa’s words. Then Yeosang spoke up. “This must be the Guide the map mentioned. That means that this cave is the entrance to the treasure chamber!”

“Then we go ahead,” declared Hongjoong, “we’re almost there, men.” With a cheer, the group lit their torches and stepped into the darkness.

Behind them, the statue of Lia continued to smile, until her features were swallowed by the night.

* * *

Only Yunho, San and Jongho had their torches lit, in order to save up their limited supply. Each person had two torches each, which would last about two hours per torch, meaning they had about twenty hours of light left if they stretched it out. Hopefully they would be out of the cave long before that.

The eight of them walked steadily down a slight slope, heading deep into the heart of the mountain. They walked for a while until Wooyoung got bored and started to sing aloud. 

_ “The king and his men stole the queen from her bed and bound her in her bones.” _

San smirked and took up the song.

_ “The seas be ours and by the powers where we will, we'll roam.” _

Then the cave seemed to thunder as the pirates all joined in. The stone shook and echoed the song, so seven voices seemed like a hundred.

_ “Yo-ho, all hands, hoist the colours high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.” _

Mingi and Yunho split the next verse, Mingi’s gravelly baritone contrasting with Yunho’s bright tenor.

_ “Some have died and some are alive, and others sail on the sea. With the keys to the cage, and the devil to pay, we lay to Fiddler's Green.” _

Again the stone came alive as the pirates chanted the chorus, reverberating in an earthy bass and the men sang.

_ “Yo-ho, haul together, hoist the colours high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.” _

Yeosang tore his attention away from the map to meet Jongho’s questioning gaze. With a grin, he opened his mouth to sing the next line.

_ “The bell has been raised from its watery grave, hear its sepulchral tone.” _

The maknae’s powerful voice boomed through the cavern in response.

_ “A call to all, pay heed the squall, turn your sail to home!” _

The group sang the chorus again, louder than before. Seonghwa watched them pour all of their excitement, their lust for adventure, their ferocity into their voices, letting it spread through the endless darkness like a flood. 

_ “Yo-ho, haul together, hoist the colours high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.” _

Finally, Hongjoong took up the last line, his eyes locking with Seonghwa’s.  _ “Never shall… we… die.” _

The last word echoed through the cave, leaving them behind in silence only interrupted by the crackle of the torches. 

“Hongjoong. There! Another statue!”

The captain snapped to attention at Yunho’s shout. In the gloom, there was indeed another stone figure of a girl. They crowded around the thing in question, bringing their torches closer. This girl’s face was more angular than Lia’s: the second statue had almond-shaped eyes and her chin was sharper. While Lia had given off the feeling of kindness, this girl was almost teasing in her expression, borderline predatory. She was wearing the same kind of gown Lia had on, but this girl’s dress was much longer, stretching across the ground like a river, and instead of the shawl-like modest quality of Lia’s outfit, this second dress was revealing and sultry, the straps almost sliding off her shoulders.

Wooyoung read the inscription of the tablet on the floor. “‘Yeji, first daughter of Poseidon.’”

If the bow Seonghwa gave Lia was dramatic, it was nothing in comparison to how he reacted at hearing Yeji’s name. The siren dove onto his knees and actually kissed her feet, grovelling and kowtowing. The others watched in shock, mouths agape.

After a much longer pause, Seonghwa stood.  _ ‘Yeji was the first siren,’  _ he explained, slightly embarrassed.  _ ‘She is my ancestor. She is literally a part of me. Yeji was known as the Temptress. The legends say she tempted men with their heart’s desire, luring them away from safety with her song.’ _

Hongjoong turned back to the statue. He studied Yeji intently. “Why would there be a statue here? The tunnel keeps going. What’s so special about this spot then?”

Looking at the statue, Hongjoong couldn’t see any obvious clues. Yeji was standing with her hip cocked in one direction, her hands gesturing flirtatiously. She was staring coyly to her left, lips curled into a smirk. The pirate captain narrowed his eyes in thought. He followed Yeji’s eye-line towards a blank stretch of wall. Led by instinct, Hongjoong stepped closer to the wall and gasped slightly at what he saw etched into the base of the wall: a tiny symbol of a siren was carved into the rock. Unthinkingly, he reached out and pressed firmly on the symbol. 

There was a mighty groan as a crack split the wall right down the middle, the cave floor rumbled as the crack grew wider and wider, until a fully grown man could walk comfortably through the gap.

“Well. It looks like we have our answer,” said San, stunned.

Jongho stepped forward, torch aloft. “Are we going in?”

Hongjoong nodded and took the torch from the boatswain. “Onwards, then.”

* * *

They travelled in single file in the narrow tunnel for a while longer. Unlike the previous tunnel, which was wide and cavernous and sloped downhill only slightly, this one was much steeper and tighter and therefore much more dangerous to traverse. Loose rocks underfoot almost sent them stumbling, and the closeness of the walls created a claustrophobic feeling.

Hongjoong led the way, torch in one hand and the other on the wall in an attempt at stabilising himself. He squinted his eyes desperately to make out the path in front of him in the inky blackness. Behind him stood Seonghwa, then San, Wooyoung, Yeosang, Jongho, Mingi and Yunho, the tallest man bringing up the rear.

It was slow going. No one spoke - the only noise in the tunnel was their harsh breathing and muttered curses as someone tripped.

Suddenly, they tumbled into a large room. Hongjoong, who had been surprised when the wall he had been holding onto disappeared, inelegantly skidded to a halt. The others followed him into the room with the same lack of grace.

Once he finished brushing himself off and checking on his crew, Hongjoong turned to inspect the large cavern they had found themselves in. 

The room was massive. It could easily fit the  _ ATEEZ _ inside it comfortably. There was a small stream of water that pooled in a little alcove to the side. A portion of the ceiling was cracked open and the moonlight shone into the cave in thick beams of silver. There were a couple of other tunnel entrances spread intermittently around the edges of the room. In the very centre of the cavern rested an altar where the moonlight seemed to concentrate on, lighting up the stone like a spotlight.

Hongjoong drew his sword and walked slowly towards the altar. He spotted the others moving around him to flank the stone from all sides. They got within a metre of the altar without anything happening. Cautiously, Hongjoong prodded the stone with his sword. Nothing happened.

Finally deeming it safe, he stepped right up to the altar and read the inscription carved into the surface aloud.

_ “Always in you, Sometimes on you;  _ _I_ _f I surround you, I can kill you.”_

“What is this? A fucking riddle?” scoffed San. “I didn’t come all this way to be stopped by a stupid riddle.”

“Aww Sannie,” tutted Hongjoong, “So quick to give up hope. We just have to find the answer. Then the treasure is ours.”

Wooyoung whined petulantly, “We already answered the map’s stupid riddle about siren blood. Why do we have to solve another one?”

Hongjoong pointedly ignored him. “Does anyone have any ideas where to start?”

Yeosang tilted his head in thought. “What can kill us if it surrounds us?”

“A cloth?” asked Mingi, “We can get smothered to death, right?”

“While yes, a cloth can be on us, it definitely isn’t ‘always in us’, so that can’t be the answer,” mused Jongho.

“I know!” shouted Yunho. “It’s a fart!”

Silence.

“Right, moving on,” said Hongjoong, “does anyone else have any ideas?”

“Huh? Didn’t you hear me? The answer is a fart!”

Hongjoong continued to ignore Yunho, “No suggestions? Nothing at all?”

“Seriously. A fart! I’m right, I just know it.”

“Why don’t we take a break, maybe some inspiration will strike later?” advised Yeosang.

Hongjoong nodded. “Good idea. Make camp, for now. Get some rest, God knows we need it.”

The crew dispersed, unpacking their bags and pulling out their food and drinks. Meanwhile, Yunho continued to protest and complain, but eventually, he too settled down, sprawling lazily across Mingi’s lap as the redhead idly fed him grapes.

Yeosang immediately pulled out his bedroll and quickly went to sleep, exhausted by hours of constantly navigating and walking. Jongho rested beside him, fondly watching as the fluffy-haired brunet started to snore softly.

San and Wooyoung had retired to a darkened corner and were languorously exchanging kisses. Hongjoong rolled his eyes at the display and settled down against the altar, sighing tiredly and closing his eyes.

He didn’t even flinch when he felt someone sitting beside him. With his eyes still closed, he tentatively rested his head against Seonghwa’s shoulder and relaxed once the siren made it clear that he was not about to reject his touch.  _ ‘Rest, Hongjoong. I will keep watch.’ _

The captain simply nodded against the siren’s shoulder. And with that, Hongjoong allowed his mind to slow, until he was floating in the sweet embrace of sleep, content to let his guard down for a while. Seonghwa was there to take care of him, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: while I wholeheartedly enjoy ITZY's music, I wouldn't call myself a fan just yet. However, they are some of if not THE most promising girl groups of the fourth generation and I think they deserve to have an important role in my fic, because I really admire them.
> 
> That being said, I do not know anything about their personalities. I've watched a couple of guides on YouTube, but I know it's not the same as actually getting to know the members. However, for the sake of my fic, I matched them all to mythical sea creatures. I do not mean to criticise or make fun of any members through the choice of creature. In no way do I think the actual Yeji would happily go around luring men to their deaths, but for the sake of my fic, the 3000 year old daughter of Poseidon does.
> 
> OK that's all for today. Let me know what you think the other three ITZY members are going to be in the comments below. 😁😁
> 
> Also tomorrow is the chapter that everyone's been waiting for. 😉😉


	19. X marks the spot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? An early chapter? And one that's 1000 words more than usual? Whaaaaat????
> 
> This chapter is by far my most favourite, and I'm sure most of you will agree, because TREASURE!!!!
> 
> Thank you all so much for 5k+ hits and your wonderful comments: several of you have already solved the riddle because y'all are clever, so I won't leave you in suspense any more.
> 
> Come scream at me in the comments.
> 
> Enjoy!

Hongjoong woke a little while later, blinking tiredly in the silvery light of the moon. He belatedly realised that he was _snuggled_ into Seonghwa’s side, the siren slack with sleep. Blushing slighting, the captain slowly drew away from the other male’s side, which he regretted immediately: Seonghwa was warm, and the cool air of the cave chilled Hongjoong uncomfortably.

 _Oh well, I’m up already, might as well get to solving that riddle,_ he thought, sighing.

He walked up to the altar and reread the riddle, pondering the answer. Nothing came to mind. Groaning in frustration, Hongjoong scrubbed a hand over his face. He lifted his head slightly and his eyes widened.

Straightening, Hongjoong quickly ran over the clues in his head. _‘Always in you, Sometimes on you; If I surround you, I can kill you.’_

The answer confirmed, the pirate ran over to San, who filling his waterskin at the stream. Hongjoong snatched the container out of his hand and ran back towards the altar.

“Hey!” shouted San, jolting the others awake. “What the fuck, Hongjoong?”

“It’s water!” laughed the captain, “The answer is water!”

A murmured “holy shit, he’s right” had the others scrambling to his side at the altar. Without hesitation, Hongjoong dumped the contents of the waterskin over the smooth stone. There was a beat of silence before the altar gave a huge groan and started to rotate, sinking into the floor.

Once the stone finished moving, the altar was nowhere to be seen, but a spiral staircase descended into the ground below them. The pirates exchanged gleeful looks before Jongho waved a torch at the darkness. “It doesn’t go down very far, but the staircase leads to a massive room. I see a shit ton of chests and sacks. No sign of the Idol’s Eye yet.”

Hongjoong nodded. “Shall we?” he asked, quirking a brow.

* * *

It was as Jongho said: the room was quite large, and it had three chests and five sacks stacked at the far end. Immediately, other men headed over to that side of the room and started opening the containers. There were shouts of euphoria and delight as the piles of gold and jewels revealed themselves.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong was busy studying the other side of the room, where a single table was placed against the wall. A box lay on top of the table, unmarked and unremarkable. 

He cautiously approached the box and tentatively lifted the lid. He gasped when he finally laid eyes on the precious diamond. “This is it,” he whispered, in awe, “The Idol’s Eye.”

The jewel in question was a pale blue. Hongjoong thought it looked like a piece of the sky had been cut out and turned into a precious stone. The gem sparkled in the low light of the torches, flickering and swirling like it was alive. The stone itself was not very big - it really was about the size of an eye - but the blue diamond was surrounded by other smaller colourless gems, and it hung on a delicate silver chain.

Hongjoong reached out a shaking hand and skimmed his fingers gently over the jewel, scared to leave fingerprints on its flawless surface. He carefully pulled the necklace free and held it up to inspect it closer.

He didn’t even realise it, but the others had also fallen silent, staring at the Eye in transfixion. Wooyoung let out a faint breath. “Hyung. We’ve found it.” He laughed. “We’ve found it!” he repeated. “We found the treasure!”

Soon everyone was whooping and laughing in celebration. Seonghwa just rolled his eyes and said pointedly, _‘Shouldn’t we get going? The rest of the crew is still waiting for us.’_

“Right,” coughed Hongjoong, placing the Eye into the pocket of his coat. He completely missed the way Seonghwa’s eyes followed the movement unblinkingly. The captain continued, unaware of the siren’s gaze. “Men, grab a chest or a sack, and let’s find that secret passage out of here.”

They climbed up the spiral staircase one by one, creating a chain in which they passed each chest or sack of treasure along to the next person, until Jongho, who was at the bottom, called out that there was nothing else left. Then, they split up and searched for the secret passage in the multitude of tunnels that branched off from the main room.

It was Mingi who found the right tunnel. “Here! There’s another statue!”

The third statue was just as beautiful as the others: she had the same flawless skin and ethereal quality to her. Her hair was the longest of the three and curled over her shoulder in waves. Her ears stuck out endearingly and her nose was more pronounced. But the most attractive trait was the way her eyes crinkled as she smiled, showing her teeth joyfully. Her dress was made of the same material as Lia and Yeji’s but this new statue’s dress was cut so that her midriff was exposed, showing a flat and toned abdomen. 

As the others gathered around it, the gunner crouched down to read the inscription. “‘Chaeryeong, fourth daughter of Poseidon.’”

It was a habit now to look straight at Seonghwa for an explanation. He bowed to Chaeryeong the same way he did to Lia: respectful, but not as extreme as the way he bowed for Yeji. _‘She was the first water sprite. She was known as the Judge. She would assess those she came across and if she found you unworthy, she would purify your soul. It is said that Chaeryeong would lead you down the right… path…’_ he trailed off as his choice of words registered. 

Hongjoong laughed aloud. “Well, we’re definitely going this way now.”

* * *

They walked for ages. Each person was carrying either a chest or a sack of the treasure, even Seonghwa. The heavy loot slowed down their pace significantly. They stopped often for breaks, and Hongjoong was getting impatient. They were so _close!_ It didn’t help that an apprehensive feeling had started to build in his gut: something was coming. Although they had travelled a long way to get to this island, and they had to overcome many obstacles, it felt like the grand finale was yet to happen. Hongjoong wouldn’t necessarily say he was a pessimist, but the foreboding feeling didn’t waver for a second.

Eventually, they had to stop again - San had tripped over a stalagmite and the quartermaster let out a harsh yell as his ankle cracked audibly. Wooyoung inspected his lover’s foot and announced that San had a moderate sprain. The blonde set about bandaging San’s foot tightly and ordered the sharpshooter’s loot to be split amongst the others, so he could walk unburdened: Hongjoong may be the captain, but when it came to injuries and the wounded, Wooyoung gave the orders.

They rested there on the dusty floor while San hissed and flinched as Wooyoung bound his foot. Hongjoong found himself sitting besides Seonghwa once more. Absently leaning into the siren, the captain pulled out the Idol’s Eye again to have another look. 

_‘Beautiful,’_ said Seonghwa softly.

“Aye, it is.”

_‘While yes, it is magnificent, I wasn’t talking about the jewel.’_

Hongjoong lifted his head and locked eyes with Seonghwa. The siren smiled softly and cupped the pirate’s cheek in his palm. His thumb rubbed gently over the sandy-haired man’s lips, uncaring for the dry, cracked, quality of them. His brown-blue-oddly gold eyes were so fond and caring, Hongjoong could almost cry. Seonghwa lifted his other hand and let it card through the long sandy hair, his nails scraping ever so slightly against the pirate’s scalp.

Without thinking, Hongjoong leaned forward, drawn closer to the siren, like a moth to a flame. He didn’t even notice Seonghwa doing the same until they were nose to nose - the only thing between their lips was the siren’s thumb. Slowly, the digit moved away, but Seonghwa didn’t remove his hand entirely. He just let it rest against Hongjoong’s cheek, the whorl of his thumbprint burning against the pirate captain’s skin.

“Seonghwa,” whispered Hongjoong, gasping in the siren’s hold, “Seonghwa, please. Kiss me.”

He let his eyes slide shut as the siren closed the gap between them and finally - _finally!_ \- pressed his lips against the pirate’s. Hongjoong made a tiny whining noise in the back of his throat and he felt more than heard Seonghwa’s chuckle in response. The kiss deepened, and Hongjoong let his shields fall, let himself go. He parted his lips submissively and moaned excitedly when Seonghwa’s tongue slipped into his mouth. The slippery appendage licked eagerly into the pirate captain’s wanting mouth, claiming him, tasting him. Hongjoong let his own tongue twirl around the siren’s in a playful challenge, before nipping on the other’s bottom lip. Seonghwa growled appreciatively nipped him right back.

They were rudely interrupted by a shrill wolf whistle. The two parted with a slick noise, a gossamer string of saliva between their kiss-swollen lips. They turned to look unhappily at Yunho, who was staring at them deviously. Hongjoong refused to admit he was pouting as his carpenter said loudly, “Fucking finally! We’ve been waiting for ages for you two to finally grow a pair. Hell, we’ve started placing bets.”

“Speaking of the bet,” said Yeosang, smirking, “I believe I won.” There were groans from the others as they all handed the navigator a gold coin each, which the brunet pocketed smugly.

His thoughts still sluggish from the mind-blowing kiss he had just received, Hongjoong just let out an unintelligent “huh?” as Seonghwa curled himself embarrassedly behind him, tucking his head against Hongjoong’s neck and squirming.

Wooyoung tilted his head. “Is this what it feels like when you watch San and I make out? ‘Cause I feel both exasperated and turned on.” Hongjoong just blinked.

“Wow, he really melted your brain, didn’t he?” laughed Mingi. “I’ve never seen our Captain so… so… dishevelled.” Dishevelled was putting things lightly: Hongjoong looked almost intoxicated. His hair was stuck up in places where Seonghwa had run his fingers through the long locks, his eyes were shiny and glazed and his lips were swollen and red. He was still panting slightly and he had a hand wrapped around Seonghwa’s wrist.

Finally, he seemed to snap out of his daze and cleared his throat bashfully. “W-we, uh, we should get going. Um, San, h-how’s your foot?” he stuttered, flushing bright red.

San raised his eyebrow at his captain’s uncharacteristic stammering, before replying, “It’s fine.”

“Right. Then, let’s go,” said Hongjoong, scrambling to his feet.

As they made their way further down the tunnel, Hongjoong tried to block out the snickering and whispering from the others behind him. Suddenly, he felt a hand slide into his own, soft fingers twining with his calloused ones. He turned his head to see Seonghwa by his side, who then brought up their joined hands to press a delicate kiss to Hongjoong’s knuckles. _‘You’re cute when you’re flustered,’_ said the siren, smiling fondly. Hongjoong blushed at the compliment. He didn’t respond aloud, for fear of the other’s overhearing, but the way he tightened his hand around Seonghwa’s was clear enough.

* * *

The pace they were travelling at was even slower than before, now hindered by San’s injury. But Hongjoong didn’t complain. In fact, despite the heavy sack of treasure he was carrying over his shoulder, he felt lighter than ever. He was still holding Seonghwa’s hand as they walked, unwilling to let go quite yet.

It was a couple of hours yet before they came across a dead end. The tunnel ended, just like that. The only thing that stopped Hongjoong from screaming in frustration was the appearance of the next statue. This time, it was “‘Yuna, the fifth daughter of Poseidon.’”

Yuna was taller than her sisters. She had round expressive eyes and flat eyebrows. She had delicate petal-like lips and a slender waist, but there was something else about her, that was different from her sisters. Her dress had two long pieces of fabric that arched behind her like wings, but Hongjoong decided that wasn’t all that set her apart. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

Seonghwa bowed again, before straightening. He looked at Hongjoong’s puzzled expression and chuckled. _‘What’s that look for?’_

“There’s just something different about her. I can’t tell what it is yet.”

The siren let out a peal of laughter. _‘That’s because Yuna_ is _different. She is Pegasus, the winged horse!’_

Hongjoong blinked in shock. “Her. She’s Pegasus?” he asked incredulously.

 _‘Yes,’_ said Seonghwa, amused, _‘You do know Poseidon, Yuna’s father, created the horses right? Yuna is the most magical and powerful of them all. Born from Medusa’s headless body, she was blessed with unmeasurable power, and she was able to take human form when she wanted to. She was known as the Warrior. You may claim that the only warriors on a battlefield are the soldiers, but their mounts are just as heroic. Yuna and her rider Bellerophon fought against many foes, including the Amazons and the Chimaera.’_

“So why is she here? I understand why the others were placed where they were: Lia the Guide, to guide us to the entrance; Yeji the Tempress, to lure us to the treasure; Chaeryeong the Judge to determine the right path to take, but I don’t know why Yuna the Warrior is just standing here” said Hongjoong, rolling his shoulders agitatedly.

“Uh, hyung? There’s something over here.”

Hongjoong turned towards Jongho’s voice, where he was investigating the wall of the dead end. There appeared to be a carving etched into the rocks: a woman with snakes for hair was being beheaded, and a winged horse was sprouting from her neck. While slightly morbid, Hongjoong didn’t see how it could help them currently.

But Seonghwa gasped excitedly and grabbed Hongjoong’s arm tightly, the same way he did when he solved the riddle about siren’s blood. The pirate captain blinked the deja vu away and focused on what Seonghwa was saying.

 _‘That’s it! I got it! We have to_ burst through _! The same way Yuna did - we have to burst through the wall!’_

Hongjoong inspected the wall, knocking on it experimentally. It didn’t sound hollow, but he had no other ideas to go on. “Mingi! Where are the explosives?”

“Right here.” The gunner tossed the bag over to his captain who brought out the little metal balls of gunpowder. While he, Jongho and Mingi worked on situating the explosives in the best possible positions, he heard the others moving the loot further down the tunnel, well away from the bombs.

“We have to be careful here,” said Mingi, falling into his role as a gunner. “If we do this wrong, the entire mountain might collapse on us.” They carefully linked up the explosives with an extended fuse and unspooled the cord until they reached the others, who were hiding around the corner. Mingi lay it on the floor and slowly brought the torch closer. He locked eyes with his captain and on Hongjoong’s nod, the redhead lit the fuse.

It hissed and sparked as the fuse caught, and they all huddled together, shielding their heads. A massive boom echoed through the tunnel, and the ground shook as the explosion rocked through the mountain. 

Eventually, the crumbling and the shifting stopped and Hongjoong blinked his eyes open.

The tunnel was filled with dust. Coughing, the captain peeked around the corner. The wall had been blown open. A lush green jungle spread out before him, but that wasn’t what had him frozen in shock. No, it was the statue of Yuna. 

They hadn’t been able to move it out of the way, much to Seonghwa’s consternation, so they had to leave it there. Hongjoong expected to see the remains of the beautiful statue scattered around in chunks, but there it was, completely undamaged, silhouetted in the morning sun.

Wary of the clearly unnatural stone, Hongjoong called for the others to pick up the treasure, before edging cautiously around the statue and out of the mountain.

* * *

After a whole day of being inside the mountain, Hongjoong was glad to see the sun again. He basked in its warm rays, letting his skin soak up the natural heat. 

They trekked away from the mountain, heading for the beach. They didn’t know where they ended up, so Hongjoong and Yeosang agreed that it was simpler to head towards the beach and then walk around the perimeter of the island until they came across the _ATEEZ._

Walking in the shade of the trees, Hongjoong forced himself to relax. However, the foreboding feeling from before had returned, more intense than before. There was something bothering him, but he couldn’t remember what it was.

They were having another break in a mossy clearing when it came to him: the others were joking around about which of Poseidon’s daughter’s they found most attractive, despite all being happily involved in gay relationships.

Wooyoung was saying “Yeji, definitely. I mean, she is the _Temptress_. I am the sexiest of us all, so of course, we would make the best pair.”

“I don’t know,” said San, “Chaeryeong looked pretty fit.”

“Well, they all did, but Yuna is the prettiest in my opinion,” injected Yunho.

Jongho spoke up. “Lia looked very sweet. I bet she could sing as well.”

That’s when it hit him. Hongjoong shot to his feet and spun to face Seonghwa.

“Seonghwa! Wasn’t Yuna the _fifth_ daughter of Poseidon?” he barked out.

The siren nodded. _‘Yes, but what is this about-’_

“The fifth? You’re sure?” asked Hongjoong, clenching his fists.

At Seonghwa’s second nod, Hongjoong let out a muttered curse. “If Yuna was the fifth, how come we only came across four statues?”

Silence.

Then-

“Shit. He’s right,” cursed San, “Seonghwa, do you know who else is missing from the list?”

_‘Ryujin, the third daughter of Poseidon.’_

“Please tell me that she’s some kind of water fairy or something,” moaned San after Hongjoong had repeated the siren’s sentence out loud.

By this time, Seonghwa had gone deathly pale. _‘She is no water fairy. Ryujin was known as the Revenger. She is the only sister still alive right now.’_

Hongjoong closed his eyes, anticipating the following blow. “And what kind of creature is she?”

The siren swallowed nervously. _‘She’s a sea serpent. And we just stole her treasure.’_

* * *

Idol's Eye:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! SEONGJOONG! THE SHIP HAS SET SAIL BITCHES!
> 
> Also, Ryujin is my favourite ITZY member, because her shoulder dance is iconic and she's just so freaking badass.
> 
> Also also, KISSING!
> 
> Lol, let me know what you thought in the comments.
> 
> Love y'all!


	20. The last daughter of Poseidon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo!
> 
> I bet you weren't expecting this! Posting twice in one day? Whaaaaaaat??
> 
> This chapter is a thank you for all of your amazing comments! I love every single one of them so much.
> 
> Just a warning: character death, and lots of gore. Yay?
> 
> Also, I'm an idiot and I forgot to include what the Idol's Eye looks like. It's actually a real jewel: you can google Idol's Eye Diamond and you can read about its history. I'm including an image of what the Eye looks like in chapter 19, just before the endnotes.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Shit. Fuck! Fuckity shitting fuck!” cursed Hongjoong.

“What did he say?” asked Yeosang tersely. 

Hongjoong scrubbed a hand over his face harshly. “Ryujin is a sea serpent. Normally, I would say that this is pretty cool, except for the fact that  _ she’s still alive _ .”

San blinked. “Did you say ‘sea serpent’?” Hongjoong nodded wretchedly. “Fuck.” echoed the quartermaster.

“Okay, so what are we going to do?” questioned Yunho, looking to his captain.

Hongjoong turned to the siren. “Can you tell us everything you know about Ryujin?”

Seonghwa inhaled through his nose, then nodded.  _ ‘Ryujin and her sisters were born aeons ago. They were daughters of the Sea God - time had no effect on them. But humans became bolder and bolder in their sea travel and their weapons grew more and more advanced. Until one day, Lia was killed when she was trying to help a sinking ship: the humans panicked and shot her. After that, it was Chaeryeong: she was playing at the base of some cliffs when a ship crushed her against the rocks. Yuna was chased down and killed, seen as nothing more than a rare quarry to hunt. Yeji and Ryujin became jaded and angry, and so the sirens and the serpents grew to be aggressive and hateful towards mankind. Eventually, Yeji was killed as well, leaving Ryujin alone.  _

_ ‘As a sea serpent, she was much harder to fight, in comparison to her sisters. Over the centuries, her magic became more powerful than ever. She could conjure up illusions so real, they had texture and scents. She could cast spells so powerful that she could control the weather however she liked. Her serpent form was as long as ten boats, bow to stern; as strong as a tidal current; as fast as a cresting wave. _

_ Ryujin continued to wreak havoc on whichever humans crossed her path, until one day she just disappeared. I think it was around this time that the first rumours of the Idol’s Eye appeared. _

_ There is a rumour amongst the sea folk about this treasure, one I had long forgotten: the Idol’s Eye had been a gift from Poseidon himself to his five beloved daughters. When Ryujin was the last one left, she took it and hid it away. It’s said that when sea folk and humans can make peace, only then can the treasure be found.’ _

Hongjoong paused and digested this information before repeating it for the others.

“But we did make peace: we’re working with you, aren’t we?” asked Wooyoung. Seonghwa nodded.  _ ‘Yes, you needed a siren to solve the riddle of the map, and you needed me to guide you through the fog.’ _

Mingi frowned, his one eye narrowing. “So what’s the big deal? If we actually managed to get this far, shouldn’t she just let us go?”

Seonghwa shrugged.  _ ‘Honestly? I’m not sure. Ryujin hasn’t shown herself, maybe she won’t approach us at all…’ _

* * *

Meanwhile, on the deck of the  _ ATEEZ _ , a scruffy haired man leaned against the side of the ship, eyes on the wooden deck below him. He took a hearty swig of rum from the bottle he clutched in one hand, letting the burn of alcohol wash over his tongue. There was the sound of the door opening and one of his crewmates came to stand beside him.

“Captain told us to stay below decks, Angae hyung,” said the tall, wiry newcomer.

Angae snorted inelegantly. “So why are you out here, Haechung?”

“Same as you,” Haechung said, “I’m sick of being down there. The others may be fine with it, but I’m fucking tired of it.”

The other older man just took another drink out of the bottle. “I just want my fucking share of the treasure already. Then we can get the fuck out of here.”

Haechung rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe the captain: he’s following every word that disgusting siren has whispered in his head. How do we know that he’s not been entranced by that monster?”

Angae just hummed noncommittally.

The taller of the two scoffed. “I bet the fog isn’t even dangerous.” Angae looked at him askance. “You sure about that?”

The younger man laughed. “I don’t trust anything that has a tail.” Haechung boldly turned around to face the open sea. “I’m not afraid of you!” he shouted into the fog. Nothing happened.

Angae kept his eyes lowered for a beat, then slowly lifted his gaze. The fog continued to swirl around them, like a grey veil across his vision. Suddenly, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. “Haechung! Did you see that?”

Both men squinted into the mist. Then-

“There it is again!” hissed Angae. Slowly, the figure drifted closer.

“It’s-it’s a girl!” gasped Haechung. The older man shook his head. “That’s no girl. It’s a siren!” he exclaimed, just as a shimmering tail splashed to the surface. The siren regarded them curiously. She swam just below them, her long chocolate brown hair billowing in the water. Her honey coloured tail swayed to and fro almost hypnotically, but she made no move other moves.

She seemed quite young, but the pirates were still on edge. She opened her mouth.

“Hello-”

As soon as the siren’s lips parted Haechung had drawn his pistol and fired at her. The siren’s melodic voice was cut off as the bullet lodged right in her throat. Blood immediately began to flow out of the wound, turning the water around her inky black, Trails of black liquid spilt out of her mouth as she choked on her own blood. Eventually, the siren’s thrashing stilled as her body began to sink beneath the waves.

Angae watched the entire thing in shock. Beside him, Haechung lowered his pistol in satisfaction. “Got it.”

The older man spun on him. “Are you crazy? You just killed it!”

Haechung frowned. “So what? It’s not like you cared about that fish bitch.”

Angae growled lowly. “I don’t care for sirens, but I care about staying alive. Don’t you know anything? Foolish boy! Sirens never hunt alone - its pod must be nearby!” Haechung’s eyes widened, locking onto something just over Angae’s shoulder. Slowly, the older pirate turned, only to face a beautiful young woman with shoulder-length hair, and an unnatural glint to her eye.

“It’s not the sirens you have to worry about,” she whispered, her voice echoing louder than usual. There was a hissed quality to her words that made the pirates shiver in fear. “What you should really be afraid of is  _ me _ .”

And with that, the woman began to convulse and twitch, her skin took on an unnatural green-blue tinge and her face seemed to lengthen. In desperation, Haechung sprinted forward and shoved the woman off the side of the ship, where she splashed into the water below.

“We have to alert the others,” gasped Haechung, darting past a frozen Angae and towards the doors that led into the depths of the ship. Just as he reached the door handle, something thick and strong wrapped around his chest, yanking him backwards, lifting him high up into the air until he was face to face with a towering sea serpent. It’s glowing golden eyes bore straight into his skull. A thunderous voice echoed in his head, rumbling with power and disdain.  _ ‘Vile little mortal,’ _ said the woman’s voice,  _ ‘you should have stayed inside your puny boat. Because now you die.’ _

The serpent’s tail tightened further until a wet sounding crack split the air, and Haechung’s crushed body was plummeting down to the ground, splattering over the  _ ATEEZ’s _ deck right at his crewmember’s feet. Angae let out a blood-curdling scream as the serpent’s wrath descended on the ship.

* * *

Back on the island, Hongjoong was leading the others as they emerged from the jungle and onto the beach when they heard the scream. The captain’s head snapped up, but all he could see was the beach and the fog. He hurriedly lowered his gaze again as he tried to pinpoint where the noise had come from. 

“Captain! It came from over there!” yelled Wooyoung, pointing a little to the left. Hongjoong threw all caution to the wind when more screams began to sound, eyes darting around to try and catch sight of where the chaos originated from.

“Oh fuck,” he choked out as the mist cleared somewhat: there, out in the water, was his ship. But curled around the vessel was an enormous snake-like creature with glowing golden eyes and fangs as long as a rowboat.

“Oh shit!” he cursed, dropping his treasure and sprinting down to the shoreline. He heard the others following his lead, and over the sound of his heart hammering a hole in his chest, he heard Yunho ask for orders.

_ I don’t know! _ he wanted to shout.  _ I don’t have a fucking idea what I can do! _

They reached the water just as the sea serpent began to tighten its body around the ship, the  _ ATEEZ _ groaning under the stress as the wood splintered and creaked. Seonghwa took a hasty step forwards. He began to sing. Hongjoong knew that only he and Ryujin would be able to understand his words.

_ ‘Oh, Mighty Ryujin, the greatest of sea serpents! Hear me!’  _ he sang, voice echoing across the waves like a stone being skipped over the surface of the water. The sea serpent actually stopped its assault on the  _ ATEEZ _ and turned its head towards the siren on the shore. Seonghwa gulped audibly before continuing his song.  _ ‘Please, I beg you, Great One, spare them. They are innocent men.’ _

Ryujin’s voice boomed like thunder.  _ ‘Why should I spare them, young siren? I tested them: from out of the mist I created a creature of the sea. They killed it without hesitation. So I ask you again - why should I spare these miserable humans?’ _

Seonghwa’s voice broke with desperation.  _ ‘Because not all of them are like that! There are humans who care, who are kind. You cannot judge one and find them all wanting.’ _

_ ‘You forget, child, that I have lived for aeons. I did not judge “one”, as you put it. Humans will always fear that which they cannot understand. In their fear they kill, they harm. So I will protect my kin by destroying them first.’ _

_ ‘Please!’ cried Seonghwa, ‘These men are different! They have treated me better than my own pod have. With them, I have a family. I implore you, do not take my family from me.’ _

Ryujin scoffed.  _ ‘Family requires love. Humans cannot love one of us.’ _

Hongjoong stepped forward. “You’re wrong,” he said loudly. “ _ I _ love him!  _ I _ love Seonghwa! I care for him and I would give my life for his safety.” It may have been his imagination, but Ryujin almost looked shocked. 

The pirate captain ignored everything else and looked straight at Seonghwa, whose mouth had dropped open in surprise. “I love you,” he whispered for his ears only. The siren smiled blindingly, he launched himself at Hongjoong, kissing him furiously.

When they broke apart, Ryujin had uncurled from the ship slightly. San spoke up, placing a hand reassuringly on Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Seonghwa is our family. He is one of us.” One by one, the other crewmembers gathered around Hongjoong and Seonghwa, glaring defiantly at the sea serpent.

To their surprise, Ryujin let out a sonorous laugh, before releasing the ship entirely and shrinking. Seconds later, she emerged from the waves, once more in her human form. When she spoke, she did so aloud, so that even San and the others could hear her words. “I have waited a long time to see this day. The day where my treasure is found by someone worthy of it. The Idol’s Eye is special. Take good care of it,” she said to Hongjoong. He nodded once, still eyeing her with distrust - after all, she did just attack his ship. Ryujin faced Seonghwa and took his hands in her own. “As for you, little siren, thank you. I’ve lost hope for so long, but you have restored it. Go now, and be happy.”

Seonghwa bowed low.  _ ‘Thank you, Lady Ryujin.’ _

And with that, Ryujin smiled softly and dissolved into sea foam, disappearing into the depths of the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC names: Haechung (해충) means vermin because he's a horrible person and probably best friends with Guluem, I dunno. I just created him to be unlikable. Angae (안개) means haze because he sees through the mist (I'm very literal) and I thought it sounded cool.
> 
> Also, LOVE CONFESSION!!!!!
> 
> As of now, I have finished writing this story and it's around 51k words but I'm gonna stick to my schedule of posting once a day. However, maybe like today, I might post early or post an extra chapter, I dunno.
> 
> See y'all tomorrow!


	21. The oncoming storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellow atiny! I hope you're having an awesome day so far. We're nearing the end of our journey 🥺 but we've still got 9k words to go!
> 
> It's almost too good to be true~~
> 
> PS stream ITZY's Not Shy 💙

Once Ryujin left the mist started to fade away slowly. Hongjoong felt like he could finally breathe - the oppressing feeling of  _ wrongness _ had finally gone.

The pirate captain inhaled deeply, basking in the warmth of the sun. A slim hand slipped into his own and squeezed. Hongjoong smiled without opening his eyes, feeling Seonghwa bring their joined hands to his lips for a featherlight kiss.

A pointed cough came from behind them. “Ahem.”

Hongjoong turned to see San with his hands on his hips, lips quirked amusedly. “As adorable as you two are, we should get back to the ship.”

“‘Adorable’?” huffed Hongjoong. “A pirate can’t be ‘adorable’! I’m pure evil - my soul is as black as night.”

Mingi snorted. “Sure, Captain.” He even had the  _ audacity _ to ruffle his hair.

“Yah! Mingi-ssi! I’ll make you walk the plank! Hey, stop laughing at me. I’m your captain!”

While the others snickered in the background ( _ traitors _ ), Seonghwa smiled at Hongjoong, his sandy-hair mussed and sticking up in odd directions.  _ ‘Well, I think you’re adorable.’  _ He kissed him on the cheek affectionately. Hongjoong grumbled but leaned into the kiss anyway.

“Right. That’s enough chit-chat,” he ordered, “let’s get that treasure on board.”

* * *

By the time they reached the  _ ATEEZ, _ Yunho was muttering some rather nasty comments about sea serpents and how “repairs will take fucking ages, she just  _ had _ to crush my baby to smithereens.”

And while ‘smithereens’ may have been slightly too strong a word, the carpenter was more or less correct: the great ship was battered and groaning, the monumental masts splintered and cracked, railings snapped off, sailes torn. The state of Hongjoong’s beloved ship was heartbreaking, but the captain had faith that Yunho and the  _ ATEEZ  _ would be able to pull through.

When they reached the side of the vessel, Wooyoung was the first to climb the ladder. By the time Hongjoong stepped foot on deck, the surgeon had already started to tend to a whimpering pirate.

Hongjoong looked around in dismay. His crewmembers had been decimated: Haechung was nothing more than a pile of broken bones and pulverised flesh. Angae was still alive, but he was bleeding profusely, while Wooyoung worked to put pressure on his multiple wounds. The other two crewmembers, Joonyoung and Shiber, looked no better off. Joonyoung was slumped against the capstan, his slim legs fractured and unnaturally bent. A large piece of the mast was lying not far away: evidently, the poor man’s legs had been crushed by the heavy wood, but he had managed to push it off his injured legs and drag himself a little further away. Seeing him, Seonghwa rushed forward and started to sing, healing him with the soft golden light. Shiber was the least injured of the four. The young pirate was only a little older than Jongho, and San had a major soft spot for him. Shiber’s caramel-coloured hair was streaked with red, having taken a bump to the head. When he saw Hongjoong step on board, he hurriedly stood up to greet him but swayed wildly, prompting San to dash forward and lower him gently to the ground.

“Shiber, what happened?” asked Hongjoong softly, kneeling before the injured man.

But it wasn’t Shiber who answered him. A raspy voice spoke up, “It was Haechung,” said Angae, groaning as Wooyoung bandaged the worst of his wounds. “It was Haechung and me.”

“What do you mean?” asked Hongjoong.

“We-” he panted “w-we were up on deck, tired of being s-stuck inside. I kept my eyes down - I may not like the siren, but I wasn’t stupid. Haechung... he didn’t care. He was shouting into the fog. Then we th-thought we saw a siren in the water. Haechung killed her. Then a woman just appeared on d-deck. She started to  _ change _ . And that fool… Haechung pushed her overboard. The next thing I know, a sea serpent had wrapped i-itself around him and it  _ crushed  _ him and then it was attacking and-” his speech broke off into wheezes as the panic overtook him. Silently, Seonghwa dropped down beside him and started to sing gently. Angae turned wide brown eyes on the siren, before slumping slightly as his pains faded away.

Hongjoong frowned. “Ryujin told us she ‘created a creature of the sea’.” He turned to Seonghwa briefly, meeting his molten gold gaze. “Didn’t you say she was capable of making life-like illusions?” The siren nodded once, concentrating on the injured man below him.

Angae swallowed slowly. “An illusion? It was… just an illusion?” At Hongjoong’s grim nod, Angae let out a stifled wail. “Haechung, you stupid boy! All this blood and tears, because of a fucking illusion!”

The captain stepped forward, kneeling solemnly. “Angae,” he started, “you should have stayed below decks like we told you. You should have trusted Seonghwa.” He sighed heavily. “But I understand. I understand what it is to be unable to trust something you have been raised your whole life to think is evil. But please, know that Seonghwa would never betray us. He is true as he is kind. Seonghwa is no monster.” Hongjoong tried to catch the siren’s eyes again, but he was looking steadfastly on the closing wound beneath his hands.

The older pirate nodded tiredly. “Aye, I know now that I was wrong. No monster would want to heal a bitter devil like me.” He looked the siren in the eyes. “Thank you, Seonghwa-ssi.”

Seonghwa smiled, before standing, offering a hand to the newly healed Angae. The man took it with only a slight hesitation. The siren then moved off to heal Shiber’s head wound.

Hongjoong pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. He could hear Wooyoung and Yeosang corralling Joonyoung, Angae and Shiber down the steps and into the crew’s quarters for some rest. Yunho and Jongho were darting to and fro, taking stock of the ship’s damages, with Yunho muttering a list of repairs he needed to get done in order of importance. Mingi and San had covered Haechung’s remains in a scrap of cloth and were discussing how they were going to row back to the island to bury the body. His crew had everything under control. Hongjoong just wanted a drink - he could feel a headache building up behind his temples.

Just then, a sweet melody sounded in his ear, and the pounding headache started to recede. Hongjoong huffed out a laugh. “Seonghwa, you need to rest. Don’t waste your energy on me.” The siren just smirked and continued to sing until the headache disappeared altogether. 

Smiling a little, Hongjoong dragged him in by the belt and leaned his forehead against the siren’s. “Thank you, ‘Hwa. I love you.” Seonghwa replied with another enthusiastic kiss, pulling Hongjoong onto his tippy toes because he was an asshole like that. Hongjoong growled and nipped him in return. Seonghwa chuckled brightly and slipped his tongue into the shorter male’s mouth and proceeded to claim every inch of it as his own. Hongjoong felt the siren’s hands wandering over his shoulders, smoothing down his lapels and trailing over his firm abdomen, the only barrier between his fingertips and the pirate’s skin being a thin piece of fabric.

The kiss deepened impossibly as Seonghwa’s hands continued to wander. Hongjoong felt overwhelmed. His senses were on fire, and nothing made sense in his brain anymore, because he swore he could feel tears on Seonghwa’s face. 

_ ‘Hongjoong. I love you too.’ _

And with those five words, the pirate’s heart felt full to bursting, hundreds of tiny butterflies erupting in his stomach. God, he could just explode with happiness. All was right in the world. His crew were gonna be okay, his ship was being repaired, the treasure was finally his…

But just as Hongjoong was sure that he was the happiest man alive, Seonghwa broke off the kiss. Then, to Hongjoong utter shock, the siren turned and dove off the ship, disappearing beneath the waves, leaving the pirate captain standing there on his ruined ship, lips kiss-swollen and slick, completely confused.

“Seonghwa?” came the soft question.

He took a single step forward and jolted. There was something different about him. Slowly, mind protesting and denying, Hongjoong raised a shaking hand to his coat pocket.

“It’s gone…” he whispered in disbelief. The Eye was gone. And Seonghwa took it.

* * *

“What do you mean Seonghwa’s gone?” barked San angrily. “You mean he just  _ left? _ ”

“Yes. And he took the Idol’s Eye,” said Hongjoong tonelessly.

The seven of them were gathered around the table in his captain’s quarters. Hongjoong felt utterly lost. Seonghwa’s betrayal stung. No, it  _ burned _ , it hurt worse than when Uloe stabbed him in the chest with the  _ Lightning Strike _ . Mostly because he didn’t know  _ why _ .

“This must be some sort of mistake,” said Yunho calmly. “There’s got to be an explanation for this.”

Hongjoong looked at him, hands clenched. “And what would that be, Yunho-ssi? Hmm? Tell me. Because I would really like to know why the siren I trusted - the  _ person _ I  _ loved _ \- kissed me as a distraction while he stole the Eye and then dived into the ocean.”

No one replied. Yunho glanced away, sheepish.

Hongjoong scoffed harshly, even as his eyes filled with tears. “I should have known. He only agreed to help us after I told him the name of the treasure we were after. He was playing us from the start.”

“Hyung…” said Wooyoung softly, placing a warm hand on Hongjoong’s wrist. The pirate captain jerked his hand out of the gentle grip and moved to the other side of the room, gulping rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

“I thought…” he started shakily. “I thought he actually liked me…”

The first tear dripped down his face and he swiped at it angrily. But then a second tear escaped his eye, and then another and another until Hongjoong couldn’t keep up. Then he just gave up and let himself cry.

Great wracking sobs shook his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around himself defensively. He felt a gentle hand on his arm, turning him around. San looked stony-faced, but he softened when he saw his brother’s face streaked with tears. Silently, the quartermaster gathered his broken captain in his arms and let the shorter man cry into his shoulder. Hongjoong felt the others one by one joining the hug until all seven of them were clutching each other. At the very centre of the embrace, Hongjoong continued to weep, safe in the knowledge that his brothers, at least, would never leave his side.

* * *

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but by the time Hongjoong stopped crying, his head ached and his eyes were red. Somehow, they had gone from standing to kneeling or sitting, and when Hongjoong stood up, his knees popped protestingly. The others stood as well, all in similar states as Hongjoong.

Jongho gripped his hyung’s shoulders. Meeting his eye, the maknae said, “What Seonghwa did was terrible. You deserve better, hyung. But what matters is that you have us. You’ll always have us. Because we are a family. And  _ we  _ love you, captain.” Hongjoong smiled, small but genuine. “I know, Jongho. Thank you.”

“Then let’s get back to work!” said Mingi, effectively shifting the atmosphere with his bright tone. The other men grinned gratefully at the one-eyed gunner.

They stepped out of Hongjoong’s quarters and up on deck, but just as Yunho and Jongho moved forward to grab some tools on the other side of the deck, a volley of cannon fire smashed into the side of the  _ ATEEZ,  _ creating an explosion.

“NO, YUNHO!” screamed Mingi, as his boyfriend was lost in a shower of splinters and fire. Similarly, Yeosang shrieked the maknae's name as he was buried under the debris. The two of them and Wooyoung sprinted forward, slipping occasionally on bits of wood to uncover them. Hongjoong and San stood over them protectively as pirates crossed over the gangplank from the other ship. And in the lead, was Captain Uloe.

Hongjoong snarled as he faced the taller man. “Uloe,” he spat, “fuck off before I kill you. “I’m not in the mood for games today.”

Uloe just chuckled, as if Hongjoong was a little yapping puppy that he found amusing. “You’re in no position to be giving orders, little captain. We outnumber you two to one, even if you’re men are awake.”

Gritting his teeth, Hongjoong growled out, “What do you want then?”

The captain of  _ The Wrath of Poseidon _ smiled pleasantly. “The Eye, of course.”

“I don’t have it.”

“Oh come now, Kim Hongjoong-ssi. We both know you found the treasure,” said Uloe, “give it to me, and I’ll let some of you live.”

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes, “‘Some of us’?”

Uloe shrugged. “I could let you all live, but I don’t particularly feel like it.” His tone darkened. “Now. Give me the Eye, Captain Kim.”

“I told you I don’t fucking have it!”

“Then I’ll provide some incentive.” He snapped his fingers and two men came forward to throw someone before Uloe’s feet.

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. Uloe smiled darkly and raised a knife to the person’s ivory throat.

Shocked grey eyes locked onto terrified brown-blue.

“Seonghwa...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun DUUUUNNNNNN
> 
> MWUAHAHAHAHAHAAAA 😈😈😈😈😈
> 
> I bet most of you forgot about that extract in the summary. If you've been reading closely, especially in the last few chapters, I've been hinting at Seonghwa's actions for a while. Even as early as chapter 2.
> 
> Also, Shiber and Joonyoung are on the crew! For anyone who doesn't know, Shiber is San's stuffed toy, and he's adorable. And Joonyoung was supposed to be the 9th member if ateez, but he didn't debut with the others. You can see him in the From MV.
> 
> See ya tomorrow for the last showdown!


	22. The tempest and the tempter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day, y'all. Wow I wasn't expecting the reaction yesterday's chapter would receive 😂😂 but I'm glad you're all having fun.
> 
> The final battle today. 
> 
> Warnings: character death, injury, gore, blood, etc.

Hongjoong didn’t know how to feel. Seonghwa, the person he loved and the person who betrayed him was kneeling before him, hands tied and mouth gagged, with a knife at his throat. Seonghwa made a tiny whimpering noise and on instinct, Hongjoong was stepping forward.

Faster than he could blink, Uloe had grabbed Seonghwa roughly by the hair and dragged the thrashing siren to his feet, the knife pressed right up against his skin. The older pirate tsked at Hongjoong, wagging a finger at him. “Not so fast, Hongjoong-ssi.”

Captain Uloe slid the knife teasingly over Seonghwa’s pale throat. He chuckled darkly, burying his nose into the soft hair behind the siren’s ear. He inhaled, then laughed at Hongjoong’s outraged expression. “Do you want it back?” he whispered, tightening his hold on toned arms. “Does the master long for his pet?”

Hongjoong snarled and levelled his pistol at Uloe’s head, grey eyes burning holes into his skull. Despite his internal wrath, his voice came out soft and steady. “Tell me, Captain Uloe, do know of Davy Jones?”

“Every pirate does, boy,” said the other man, uncaring of the whimpering noise Seonghwa made as the knife drew blood. A single trail of black liquid dripped down the sculpted hollow of his throat. Captain Kim did not flinch. Instead, his lips curled into his trademark delicate smirk. “Give him my regards, then.” 

The pistol went off.

Uloe bellowed like an ox as the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Seonghwa saw his opening and threw himself out of the way. Hongjoong only spared him a passing glance before refocusing on the task before him.

By this point, Yunho and Jongho had regained consciousness and looked mostly uninjured, apart from a few bumps and bruises. But even so, they were outnumbered. That was until there was a mighty cry from their left and Shiber, Joonyoung and Angae burst out of the doors, weapons drawn.

Hongjoong used this distraction to his advantage. He fired his pistol once more, killing one of Uloe’s men, and drew his sword in the same movement, before launching himself into the fray.

“San! Ring attack!” ordered Hongjoong. As one, the crew of the  _ ATEEZ  _ surrounded San, creating a protective ring while the quartermaster picked them off one by one with his pistols. Once he ran out of shots, he started grabbing the unfired pistols of Yeosang and Wooyoung, then Yunho and Joonyoung, and so on. They managed to kill or injure five more men. Leaving just Uloe and seven of his men left.

Suddenly there was a cry from Hongjoong’s right. A body thumped down to the ground, unmoving, wide eyes glazed and lifeless. San let out a scream. “NO! YOU BASTARDS! YOU KILLED HIM!” As San fired a bullet into an enemy’s skull, Hongjoong swallowed heavily, pushing down his emotions fiercely. He had to focus. He could break down later when all of this is said and done.

With a roar of rage, San abandoned his pistol and launched himself bodily at another attacker, his cutlass clashing loudly in the din. Hongjoong followed suit quickly, slashing and hacking his way towards Uloe. He’s gonna pay for that. He killed one of his crew, one of his family.

Uloe blocked Hongjoong’s strike easily. He swatted the younger’s blade aside like a bothersome fly, his overwhelming strength bearing down on the smaller man. Deftly, Honjoong dodged out of the way and made a sweeping kick, slamming his shin into the back of Uloe’s knee. The leg buckled slightly, and Hongjoong immediately followed up with a blow to his injured shoulder with the pommel of his sword. Uloe roared with anger and drove his other shoulder into Hongjoong’s gut, tackling him to the ground. His sword flew out of his hand and Hongjoong cursed inwardly. Uloe was much bigger and physically stronger. In a hand to hand fight, Hongjoong had no chance of winning. He needed his sword.

The taller man started to punch and hammer his fists down on Hongjoong’s head. He barely got his hands up in time to block the heavy blows, but the shorter man knew he couldn’t keep this up for long. So he used his size to his advantage: he brought up his leg underneath Uloe and kicked as hard as he could. Uloe went flying with a shout. Hongjoong scrambled up to his feet and searched frantically for his blade - he could hear Uloe standing up behind him, but there was a cry as Yunho lunged to intercept him.

While Yunho held off Uloe, Hongjoong finally spotted his blade. He dodged past flying limbs and flashes of steel, trying to grab his cutlass. He reached it but realised that someone was also reaching for the sword. Hongjoong’s head snapped up to see Seonghwa, kneeling on the floor, hands still bound.

The siren didn’t say anything. He just watched as Hongjoong picked up his sword. Seonghwa closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

Hongjoong watched the siren. An angered shout from Yunho caught his attention again. “I’ll deal with you later,  _ siren _ .” And with that, Hongjoong left Seonghwa kneeling there in the dust and the debris.

* * *

Angae was dead. A brutal slash to the gut had his entrails basically spilling out onto the deck. Hongjoong almost fucking slipped on what he thought was a liver. Steeling his mind, the pirate captain forged ahead, blocking his mind of the two bodies of his crew. As he engaged one man, he observed the fight.

Yeosang was out of knives. He had lost them all at some point and was now fending off an attacker with his cutlass. However, Yeosang was never very good at swords, there was a reason he preferred knives. His opponent quickly disarmed him and stabbed him in the upper thigh. He let out a yowl of pain and his leg gave out beneath him. Cornered and injured, the navigator kicked out with his uninjured leg desperately, but his opponent merely dodged out of the way. Suddenly the man dropped down to the ground, his neck snapped by powerful hands. “Yeosang, are you alright?” asked Jongho, helping his partner up. Jongho himself wasn’t too steady. He sustained a concussion from earlier and swayed where he stood. Hongjoong knew those two wouldn’t last much longer.

Mingi was duelling two men at the same time. The gunner was bigger than both of them, but they were working together to take down the tall redhead. With a bellow, Mingi booted one man in the face, stunning him, but that left him open to an attack from the second man, who sliced Mingi in the side, grazing him badly. Yelling, the gunner smashed the pommel of his sword into the man’s temple and he dropped like a sack of rocks.

Joonyoung was bleeding profusely from a head wound. He had lost his sword sometime earlier and had grabbed a thick plank of wood and was using it as a bludgeon instead. One man managed to trip up Joonyoung’s legs, and the pirate tumbled overboard with a splash.

San leapt forward to engage Joonyoung’s opponent, tears still streaking down his face. “You fucking shitholes,” he was snarling. “You killed him. You killed my friend! Shiber deserved better.” His opponent didn’t last long and was quickly sent straight to hell.

Meanwhile, Wooyoung and Yunho were double-teaming Uloe. But Yunho was still unsteady from the blast and one solid punch to the face had the carpenter crumpling to the floor. Hongjoong saw Wooyoung falter in his attacks. The sandy-haired pirate darted forward with a yell, “Woo! Look out!” But it was too late. Uloe slashed at Wooyoung’s unsuspecting back and the blonde fell forward with a cry. Hongjoong let out a wordless yell of rage and stabbed his opponent in the gut.

Silence fell.

Hongjoong looked around. It was him and San, versus Uloe and one other man.

Uloe attacked first. He charged at Hongjoong swinging his blade at his head. Hongjoong rolled out of the way and popped up at Uloe’s left. The smaller captain smashed a fist into Uloe’s ribs, and he felt one snap with a satisfying crunch. He heard San and the unnamed pirate fighting in the background, but Hongjoong had no time to consider how he was doing, as Uloe smacked him down with a brutal clothesline.

Winded, Hongjoong stood shakily. “Hyung!” came a shout. He turned his head and caught the sword that Jongho had tossed to him.

Hongjoong smirked. Dual-wielding was not very pirate-like, but it was something he had perfected in the long years he had been sailing the seas. Usually, he did not carry around a second sword, but when he got his hands on one, he was deadly.

Uloe, unknowing of the danger he was now in, attacked first. Hongjoong caught and deflected the strike with his left blade and jabbed with his right. Uloe barely dodged in time. The older pirate looked stunned - that had been too close.

This time, Hongjoong attacked first. He swung his right sword low and his left high, causing Uloe to stumble back. He followed up with a swift kick to the shin and then a slice to his injured shoulder. The sword connected and Uloe yet out a yowl as his blood splashed down onto the deck. Hongjoong did not pause. He drove his knee into Uloe’s solar plexus and as the man bent double to catch his breath, Hongjoong swung his sword down onto his unprotected neck, as if to behead him.

Uloe let out a gasp as he felt steel kiss his nape. But the sword did not move.

Hongjoong spoke, his voice hard and cold. “Yield.”

Uloe nodded slowly. “I surrender.”

Gradually, Hongjoong stepped back. Uloe clutched at his bleeding shoulder, glaring up at Hongjoong.

There was a groan from behind him. “Wooyoung!” gasped San, falling to his boyfriend’s side. “I’m fine,” came the strained reply. “It’s just a shallow graze. I just knocked my head a bit on the floor, is all.” San let out a disbelieving laugh. “So you knocked yourself out?” Wooyoung smacked him lightly, “Don’t announce it to the world!”

Hongjoong shook his head fondly. “Everyone alright?” he asked, worriedly.

“Fine here,” said Mingi, a hand pressed tightly against his side, but he didn’t look injured besides that.

“Yunho’s out cold, but he should be okay,” reported Joonyoung, who had climbed back on board a couple of minutes ago.

“We’ll live,” said Yeosang drily. Jongho nodded.

San’s face fell. “Shiber… Shiber’s gone. So’s Angae.” Hongjoong closed his eyes briefly, sighing. He walked forward towards Shiber’s cold body. He knelt down tiredly and gently closed the glassy eyes that would forever remain unseeing.

At that moment, there was a scuffle and a shout.

“Hongjoong, watch out!”

But that can’t be right, because that voice doesn’t -  _ can’t _ \- speak aloud. Because sirens can’t speak human languages. He had to share part of his soul so Hongjoong could hear him telepathically, so how can he be shouting now?

It was then the words registered with Hongjoong’s slow brain. ‘Watch out,’ he had said. Hongjoong spun around too late.

There was a gunshot and then there was a body.

There was a bang, and then there was blood.

Black blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't eat me.


	23. Inception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the penultimate chapter, y'all. It's almost the end of the line 😢
> 
> Anyways, but wanna say a massive thank you for all the comments and all the kudos that y'all have been giving me. You guys are truly fantastic, and I love y'all. 💙
> 
> Here we go~

Seonghwa watched the battle from his spot by the corner. Once Hongjoong had fired that first shot, the previously peaceful afternoon air erupted in chaos. Bodies fell and pistols were fired. Men cried out and swords clashed, creating a symphony that Seonghwa loathed. He hated fighting.

He crawled further away from the violent scene, cringing as he heard San scream out something unintelligible over the cacophonous din. Seonghwa brought his hands up to his face and yanked the gag out of his mouth. He shivered in the corner, watching for an opening to free his hands.

Then… there! A sword! He crept forward cautiously and reached for the blade, but someone else scooped it up first. Seonghwa looked up only to be met with Hongjoong.

The pirate captain looked fierce and deadly standing there silhouetted against the bright afternoon sun. Like a figure of legend. And he looked angry. And rightly so, because Seonghwa had done something horrible. He broke Hongjoong’s trust, and now Hongjoong hated him. The siren watched as the pirate’s hand clenched around his sword. Seonghwa closed his eyes, letting Hongjoong do whatever he wanted to him. He owed him that much.

But then Hongjoong was snarling low and furious, “I’ll deal with you later,  _ siren _ .” And then he was swallowed up in the chaos once more. Seonghwa watched him go with sad eyes. Hongjoong didn’t want him anymore. All his efforts were in vain.

And then someone dropped a knife in front of him. Seonghwa once again looked up, but this time he came face to face with Yeosang. The navigator’s face was shuttered and emotionless. “Cut yourself free, then stay out of the way.” The siren hurriedly obeyed then tucked himself back into his corner. Yeosang watched him with a stony glint in his eye until he too was gone.

Seonghwa wondered if he should sing, to help Hongjjong and the others like last time, but then he remembered their reaction when he tried to escape all those weeks ago, how San had fired at him, and Yeosang had growled, “You tried to hurt our captain,” and then used his sharp, wicked knife on him.

No, best to stay safe and silent now. If they really needed help, he would, even if they attack him for it. They were his family now, his pod. He would not let them die.

Minutes passed as Seonghwa huddled in his corner and tried to act like he was one with the wall. He wasn’t far away when Mingi got injured. He crept his way over and reached out his hands towards the gunner’s wound, but he was slapped away. Mingi glared at him. “I don’t need your help,  _ siren _ ,” he spat. Seonghwa flinched and stepped away, heart aching as another one of his friends rejected him.

Abruptly, silence descended over the ship. Seonghwa saw that there were only four men left standing: Hongjoong, San, the man who had  _ taken _ him, and one other. San and the stranger duelled off to the side while Hongjoong engaged the pirate who took him. The evil pirate who used one of those  _ coins _ \- used a  _ Thief _ \- on him.

Shuddering, the siren watched as the pirate captains danced around each other like they were performing a duet together. At some point, Jongho tossed Hongjoong a second sword, which Seonghwa didn’t understand. He already had a weapon, why would he need two?

The answer became apparent when Hongjoong  _ transformed _ . Gone was the battle-weary man, and in his place was a confident fighter. The additional sword seemed to re-energise the pirate, and he fought with a renewed rigour.

It was almost over too quickly. Seonghwa watched as Hongjoong effortlessly spun and slashed and stabbed and struck at the larger pirate until he was forced to surrender. Seonghwa was proud of him, but then he scolded himself because he didn’t get to be proud of Hongjoong.  _ Remember? Hongjoong doesn’t want you anymore,  _ he told himself harshly.

He was glad that the others were alright. Injured, but nothing some of his singing wouldn’t fix. But then he remembered Mingi’s reaction to Seonghwa offering to heal him and deflated again. His heart clenched when he realised that two of Hongjoong’s crew were dead. The nice young man from before and the ‘bitter devil’ who hated sirens but thanked Seonghwa. The siren was still confused by his actions, but felt remorse for the loss of his life. No one deserved to die like that.

But Seonghwa’s musings were interrupted when he saw the taller pirate captain raising his gun at Hongjoong’s unsuspecting back. The others were all occupied, and no one could make it there in time, so that meant that Seonghwa had to do something and quickly because that villain was going to kill Hongjoong and that’s not  _ allowed- _

“Hongjoong, watch out!” he cried, and wow that was the first time he spoke aloud and that was weird but just like singing but they could understand him and that means it worked-

Then Hongjoong -  _ my Hongjoong, you can’t touch him, he’s mine _ \- was turning around but he was too slow and Seonghwa was throwing himself forwards and-

_ Bang! _ The bad man fired his gun and then there was  _ pain _ , burning agony in his back and he was falling forwards and  _ ow _ it really hurts and he was scared that he was going to land on his face because his back already hurt and he didn’t want his face to hurt too-

But then  _ oh! _ Hongjoong was right there and he caught Seonghwa and was holding him in his arms again and Seonghwa had missed this, he missed Hongjoong even though it’s been like four hours and he was  _ sorry _ -

“Seonghwa,” said Hongjoong, and the siren thought he sounded almost  _ scared _ , “Seonghwa, why did you do that?”

“Because,” he started, and Hongjoong jolted a little at hearing him speak aloud and  _ ow ow ow  _ that had hurt, “I love you, and you were in trouble,” he gasped through the pain. 

Hongjoong pulled him closer and placed a warm hand on his back, but the pain spiked and Seonghwa whimpered, he wriggled a bit trying to get away from the pain and Hongjong was whispering, “shh, I’m sorry, I know it hurts but I gotta put pressure on it,” and Seonghwa wanted to sit up so he could sing and heal himself and heal the others like Mingi, but maybe they were still mad at him, so he shouldn’t-

Hongjoong stroked his face softly, tenderly and Seonghwa was confused now: didn’t he hate him? But before he could ask Hongjoong why he was suddenly calling him ‘Seonghwa’ again and not ‘ _ siren _ ’ and why he was being so nice when Seoghwa had  _ betrayed him _ … his vision started to go blurry and darken and he just wanted to  _ sleep _ -

“Seonghwa? Wait, no, stay with me! Stay awake! Please! Seonghwa, don’t fall asleep - you need to keep your eyes open. Stay with me…

“Please…

“Don’t leave me…

“I still need you...

“I still love you…”

And then the darkness swept over Seonghwa like a wave, but that’s okay, he’s a good swimmer.

* * *

Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa slept, swaddled in blankets in Hongjoong’s own bed in his captain’s quarters.

It had been three days, and the siren showed no signs of waking up.

Uloe was dead. San stabbed him through the heart when Seonghwa was- when he was  _ injured _ . In that time, they marooned what was left of the crew of the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ . Yunho, who was basically back to normal, stripped Uloe’s ship for parts with Joonyoung’s help and repairs would be done tonight, enough so that they could head over to the nearest port to get more supplies. Mingi and San took great pleasure in burning what was left of the  _ Wrath of Poseidon _ , of course only after they took everything of worth. Wooyoung was busy healing Seonghwa and taking care of Yeosang because the navigator kept insisting he was fine, but he really wasn’t, so Jongho was on permanent Yeosang-sitting duties. That left Hongjoong on Seonghwa-sitting duty.

So there he was. Waiting for the siren to wake up.

The pirate studied the siren closely: despite it being three days since the battle, Seonghwa remained just as pale and still and cold as when he had taken that bullet in the back for Hongjoong. His usually plush, red lips were a thin pale line slashed on the canvas of his face. His skin was ghosty white, and sweat dotted his brow, the pirate captain studiously wiped off the beads of moisture with a cloth, stroking gently across the siren’s forehead. Seonghwa’s face was slack and emotionless, and without expression, the siren looked  _ dead _ . Even when he was sleeping, Seonghwa’s face would always be scrunched adorably or he would be smiling softly, he was so  _ emotive _ , so this newfound unfeeling expression tore at Hongjoong’s heart.

Sighing, Hongjoong gripped the siren’s slack fingers in his own, absently bringing them up to his lips for a kiss to the inside of his wrist. “Seonghwa,” whispered the pirate, voice wrecked and hoarse from crying, “please come back to me. I’m sorry. I forgive you. Just come  _ back! _ ”

A harsh sob tore at his throat. “I need you. I can’t do this without you. And even if I could, I don’t  _ want _ to. I want to be with you. I want to sail the seas with you by my side, I want to find all sorts of treasures if only so I can compare them to you and brag because you’re the most precious thing I could ever find, and no one else can have you, even  _ death _ .”

Suddenly, a wave of anger washed over Hongjoong, hardening his voice. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to steal my treasure, break my heart,  _ use _ me like a stupid tool and then just  _ die _ . I’m not finished with you just yet. You need to come back to me so I can whoop your ass.”

Exhausted by his tirade, he slumped, resting his head against Seonghwa’s chest. He stubbornly ignored the steadily growing puddle of tears that soaked the siren’s shirt. Body wracked by all consuming tremors, stemming from Hongjoong’s grief and sheer desperation… he failed to notice when Seonghwa’s fingers twitched. Through the haze of tears, Hongjoong passed off the siren’s head tilting to the side. The slightly sharper inhale was just his imagination. But he couldn’t possibly ignore those slim fingers stroking through his hair, trembling with both fatigue and fear.

Jolting, Hongjoong sat up, only to be met with Seonghwa’s psychedelic eyes. The siren looked confused and apprehensive. The pirate captain just sat there, absolutely frozen. Slowly, Seonghwa reached up and tentatively brushed at his cheeks, wiping away his streaming tears. “Don’t cry for me, my love. I am not worth your tears,” he said, and that jump-started something inside Hongjoong.

The pirate sprang forward in a flurry of blankets and limbs. Seonghwa startled, flinching as if he expected to be struck, but Hongjoong just clutched the siren to his chest in a crushing hug, knocking all the air out of his lungs.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the hug, but aren’t you angry at me?” came the bewildered question.

Hongjoong let out a sound that was between a laugh and a sob. “No, I can’t be angry at you. I've had three days to get over my anger. You’re  _ alive _ . You’re  _ awake _ . That's all that matters.”

“But,” started Seonghwa, confused, “I just heard you… you were so angry at me, Hongjoong.”

The pirate just shook his head. “I’m not. I’m really not. I’m just so fucking  _ happy _ that you’re okay.”

Drawing away slightly, the siren studied the pirate’s tearful face. He must have found what he was looking for, because his face broke into a blinding smile, his beautiful expressive eyes lighting up and crinkling at the corners. Hongjoong felt his heart stutter in his chest at the sheer joy in the siren’s face.

“I’m so glad you’re giving me another chance,” he whispered, still smiling that beaming grin, “but I need to give you an explanation.”

Just as Hongjoong was opening his mouth to respond, the door to his captain’s quarters slammed open with a bang. “Hey, Captain! How’s your lover boy?” asked Mingi, at his usual boisterous level. “Song Mingi!” scolded Wooyoung, his voice floating in from outside. “Seonghwa is fucking resting! My fucking patient needs to regain his fucking energy, so I don’t want you to fucking burst into the room to fucking wake up every single creature from here to Mnet Port, for fuck’s sake!”

The blonde stalked angrily into view to pinch the taller redhead’s ear, intent on dragging him off to be thoroughly chastised, but Wooyoung came to an abrupt stop when he noticed that his captain was not only clearly crying, but Seonghwa was awake. The two of them sat on Hongjoong’s bed, clutching at each other, and staring at the other two pirates at the door.

Finally, Wooyoung broke the silence by giving a shout of joy. “He’s awake!” He dashed inside, only to begin thoroughly inspecting the siren, checking his pupil dilation, his pulse, breathing and his bandages.

Meanwhile, there was a scuffling noise from outside as San, Yeosang, Jongho, Yunho and a tentative Joonyoung came to a stop at the door, drawn by Wooyoung’s yell. They stared at the siren with bright hopeful eyes, before Yunho let out a disbelieving laugh and burst through the doorway to run to the siren’s bedside, barely skidding to a stop. The others followed at a relatively tamer pace than the tall carpenter. “You’re awake!” said Yunho redundantly. The siren gave a small but genuine chucke in return, “Come sit, my friends. We have much to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left guys. 😔 See y'all tomorrow. 👋🏻


	24. Can you hear those voices?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This it y'all. This is the last that one. I just wanna thank every single person who has clicked into this crazy story, every person who has given me kudos and every person who has commented. You guys truly are fantastic, so from the bottom of my devilish little heart - THANK U *Cue Seonghwa grabbing Hongjoong's hand and bowing*
> 
> Special thanks to SaoriTwilight1000, who has always written such long and insightful comments, and literally knows my fic better than me. I look forward to working with you in future as your beta, darling! 💙
> 
> Also, another special thanks to Scarlett Luna who has decided to draw some FANART for this fic, SQUWEEEEEEE, I'm still in shock. I'll be adding them to this fic as they are finished, so if you're interested in having a look, check this fic out in a couple of days/weeks. Thanks again, sweetheart! You're amazing! 💙
> 
> Now in case you guys don't know, I've amended the notes on chapter 11, and I added a YouTube link to the song I had in my head when Seonghwa was singing. Similarly, I've done the same for this chapter, so if you wanna know what song he is singing here, check out this link: [Youtube link,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgVM6HFFj28) both songs are from the Lord of the Rings and they are Elven songs because they're beautiful. 
> 
> This chapter title is the last line of Outro: Long Journey. 
> 
> Also stream BTS Dynamite. It's so good 😄😄

The others eagerly crowded around the bed. Wooyoung and Hongjoong absolutely refused to budge from the siren’s side, one out of concern for his patient, the other because he refused to allow Seonghwa to leave his sight. The siren laughed as the others jostled each other, pushing and shoving like eager children in order to get closer. Eventually, they all settled and waited for the siren to begin.

Seonghwa took a deep breath in. “First of all, I want to apologise for betraying your trust the way I did. Hopefully what I have to say next will grant me your forgiveness.”

“You have it,” said San immediately. Seonghwa shot him a grateful look but shook his head. “I appreciate that Sannie, but I need you to hear the whole story first.” The quartermaster nodded slowly, acquiescing. 

The siren continued, closing his eyes briefly, “Not many humans know, but sirens grow up destined to love only one person. From the moment we’re born, our fate is decided. We are able to feel when our One is near like a golden thread is wrapped around our neck, dragging us closer, as if we’re a needle in a compass and our One is North.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the surface. My pod mates outcasted me and hated me for it. They even tied me up above the waves in Sunmi’s cove because ‘if you love the surface that much, you can die there.’ I never knew why I was so drawn to the world above the ocean, where those dangerous humans lived to capture and torture sirens, but as soon as you stepped foot on that island, Hongjoong, I knew. My One was human. I thought I was delirious, strung up on that rock for months, but as soon as you spoke, I knew, deep in my heart, that you were the One I was born for.” 

Hongjoong’s eyes were wide, and he stared at Seonghwa with open astonishment. “You’re-” he started, “I’m - we’re - me?” he gasped. Seonghwa nodded. Hongjoong let out an incredulous laugh. He placed a breathless kiss against Seonghwa’s knuckles. “Of course, of course. Continue please.” The siren smiled fondly at him before continuing with his story.

“The story of the Idol’s Eye was nothing but an abstract myth. There were rumours, of course, but no proof. When you captured me, the only thing I wanted was to escape, to go home. But then Hongjoong mentioned the name of the treasure you were after. I knew I needed to find the Eye, so I opened the bond between Hongjoong and me, and we could finally communicate.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Hongjoong, holding up his hand, “You said you gave me a piece of your soul.”

Seonghwa shrugged. “Well, technically, our souls were connected the moment we were born, and you actually had my _entire_ soul in your grasp, but I just opened that bond a little so we could converse with each other.”

“You-” gaped Hongjoong. “You gave me your _entire soul?_ ” The siren just nodded, like it was no big deal. “You are my One. It was yours all along.”

Hongjoong let out a disbelieving noise but allowed Seonghwa to continue.

“Once we were connected, we could talk freely, and I could occasionally feel things from your side of the bond, such as pain or strong emotions. I tried to block them out because I knew you couldn’t consent to your projecting of your emotions. I never heard any of your thoughts, merely just very strong impressions of what you wanted at the moment, but it was similar to how your scent gave away how you were feeling, or how your heart rate (which I could hear) would rise when anxious or excited. In return, you could hear my thoughts. That's why I couldn't lie to you 'out loud', but I did deliberately _not_ think about things. Which leads me back to the Eye. 

"When we reached ITZY Island, I debated telling you what I wanted to do with the Eye, but I was too afraid of your reaction. I know it seems like I was using you and I guess, in the end, I was. But I had to do it. I needed to take the Idol’s Eye.”

“Hold on,” interrupted San, “what did you need the Eye for in the first place?”

Seonghwa looked askance at him. “Because the nature of my One was different, I would never truly be able to be with Hongjoong. The real purpose of the Eye is a secret long hidden from humans: the jewel is capable of changing the very nature of a sea creature. I used it to change myself.”

“Does this mean you’re not a siren any more?” asked Wooyoung.

Shaking his head, Seonghwa said, “No, I am still a siren, but I changed my vocal cords so that I could communicate like a normal human as well. I also changed my appearance slightly, so that I could pass off as a human easier.” He waved his hand at his face and arms, referring to the lack of red scales on his visible skin. “I can still turn into a full siren, and my scales will return, but I could just be a normal person like any one of you.”

Hongjoong frowned. “Seonghwa, as much as I’m glad you can speak aloud now, it seems like a lot of effort for something small in the grand scale of things.”

Seonghwa winced, meeting his gaze sheepishly. “Well, that’s not all I changed about myself.” At Hongjoong’s suspicious look, the siren sighed and said, “Sirens can live up to four hundred years old.” There were gasps from the pirates. 

Jongho piped up, “Then how old are you? You don’t look any older than one of us.” 

The siren blushed, “I’m one hundred and twenty-two years old. By siren standards, I’m quite young.” The pirates continued to stare at him with dropped jaws. 

“ _One hundred and twenty-two years old?_ ” Yunho’s voice was shrill.

“But you said you changed something else about yourself, how does that have anything to do with your age?” asked Yeosang, ever sharp.

Seonghwa lowered his gaze in discomfort. “Well, I didn’t want to continue to live to be four hundred years old when Hongjoong would leave me alone,” he said as if it was obvious. “So I cut my lifespan down. I will die around two hundred years old, so this way I could be with Hongjoong without worrying about being alone for the rest of my life. I would age along with him, grow old with him.”

Stunned silence followed his words.

“You-” began Hongjoong, choked, “You gave up _two hundred_ years of your life, just so you can grow old with me?”

Seonghwa looked up, “Did… did you not want me to?”

Instead, Hongjoong launched himself across the bed, crushing his mouth to Seonghwa’s. The siren gave a startled yelp before responding eagerly. They exchanged heated kisses while the others averted their eyes. They broke apart, chests heaving, eyes wild.

Hongjoong looked at him lovingly. “Seonghwa. _Thank you_. Thank you so much.”

The siren shook his head sadly, “Don’t thank me yet. In order to grant my wish, I had to sacrifice the Idol’s Eye to the ocean. The jewel is gone, Hongjoong. This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I was scared - I was afraid that you would forbid me from taking the Eye. So I stole it. I’m so sorry, I was so selfish.” He lowered his head in shame.

Seonghwa felt a finger lift his chin up so he could meet the pirate captain’s eyes. The siren gasped when he saw Hongjoong had tears dripping down his cheeks. Seonghwa felt horrible - he made Hongjoong cry! But then the sandy-haired man started to laugh. The siren realised that the other man was smiling wide and bright.

“Oh Seonghwa, my love, you’re so fucking dumb,” he chuckled. “I don’t care about the Eye anymore. I don’t want it - I don’t _need_ it - as much as I need you.”

The siren sat there, surrounded by his family, across from the man he loved. “You- you forgive me?” he whispered, barely audible.

“Of course. You’re more important to me than any jewel. I would give up all the treasure in the world for you. I would stop sailing the ocean if you wanted. Whatever you want of me, I will provide. I love you, Seonghwa, I love you _so much_ . I doubted you, yes. I was angry, yes. But I was angry because I felt like you betrayed my trust, but now I know that you didn’t trust _me_ enough to support you, to believe you. But instead, you’ve given me a gift greater than I deserve: _you,_ forever - for the rest of my life. And I’m so glad that the price was just a stupid stone. It’s a real bargain,” he finished with a grin. Seonghwa let out a tiny incredulous laugh. He leaned in to give Hongjoong another tender kiss. 

“I have a question,” said Joonyoung tentatively, at the siren’s welcoming nod, the young man continued, “so how did you come to be captured by Uloe?”

The siren’s gaze dropped as the painful memories assaulted him. “Well,” he began shakily, “the change was draining and used up a lot of my magic. I was exhausted and guilty, distracted by how I would return to the _ATEEZ_ and the reaction I would receive. They must have tracked us down somehow and by the time the ship caught up with me, all my energy had deserted me. I couldn’t even fight back.” Hongjoong reached up and placed a warm hand on Seonghwa’s back. The siren seemed to relax marginally before sighing. “They… Uloe… He had an extra.”

Wooyoung frowned. “An extra what?”

“An extra Thief.” Hongjoong swallowed heavily, not liking where this was going. “What did he do to you?” he whispered, half wishing the siren wouldn’t answer.

“What do you think, Hongjoong? He used the coin for its intended purpose,” came the exhausted response.

Hongjoong’s heart clenched. “Torture.”

“Aye,” said the siren, and in any other circumstance, the pirate would be amused that Seonghwa had adopted their slang, but he was too horrified to respond. The other man saw the alarmed looks he was receiving. He hurriedly rushed to reassure them, “But it’s alright now. The effects wore off after a while. I’m perfectly fine.”

Without another word, San got down on his knees on the floor, kowtowing. Seonghwa gaped at him. “W-what are you doing?”

San’s bow was so low, his forehead touched the wooden floor. “You’ve been through so much, Seonghwa. You’ve sacrificed so much for my hyung. Your thoughts, your body, your life… you saved him from Uloe, multiple times. We wouldn’t have been able to get this far without you. You are the single reason why we are all alive today. So thank you, Seonghwa hyung. Thank you so much.” And with that, one by one, Wooyoung, Yunho, Jongho, Yeosang, Mingi and Joonyoung got down on their knees to bow to Seonghwa. Hongjoong touched the back of his hand fondly before joining his crewmembers in their bow.

The siren stared at them, before smiling at his family. He stroked his hand over Hongjoong’s sandy head fondly. He started to sing softly, but this time, the pirates could understand the song’s words.

_“This is not the end…_

_It is the beginning.”_

The beautiful tune washed over them like a wave, drawing them into the ocean’s fluid embrace. It felt like the very ship was vibrating, the water underneath them joining in harmony. Seonghwa’s voice felt different from before - while the words he sang were in another language, they knew in their hearts what the words were, as sure as they knew their own names, as sure as they knew how much he loved them.

_“You cannot falter now..._

_If you trust nothing else..._

_Trust this.”_

Hongjoong felt like he was being filled with light, the same way he did when Seonghwa had first joined their souls. He lifted his head, only to gasp. The golden threat that had wound around Seonghwa’s throat before - their _bond_ \- was stretching out, reaching for him. Hongjoong allowed it to caress his face gently, ruffling his hair. Slowly, it wound itself around his neck, binding him to Seonghwa. The pirate closed his eyes and allowed his mental shields to fall. He let Seonghwa into his mind, the same way the siren had let him into his, all those weeks ago.

_“Trust this...”_

He felt the bond snap into place so that the perfect golden thread was joined around their two throats, in an infinite loop, crossing between them and coiling around the backs of their heads. Hongjoong gasped as he felt his mind - his heart, his _soul_ \- flood with Seonghwa. He felt himself joining with the siren until they were One.

_“Trust love.”_

The song trailed off on a trembling note as if it was left unfinished. The golden thread disappeared. Hongjoong felt that Seonghwa’s presence in his mind had receded but not vanished. He was still there, like a hand on his shoulder. 

Hongjoong felt a tear drip down his face. Voice nothing more than a whisper, he pressed his hand to his heart and said “I feel you, my love. Here.” Seonghwa nodded, just as reverent. “Now you will never doubt my love for you, ever again.” They leant their foreheads together and just breathed in each other’s presence. The bond was no longer visible, but Hongjoong knew it was there, humming in the air around them.

In the back corner of his mind, he heard the others backing out of the room, in order to give them some space. Hongjoong felt so warm, so safe. His family were right outside, and the love of his life had him wrapped in his caring embrace. Nothing could be better.

* * *

**Five years later…**

Captain Kim Hongjoong stood at the helm of the _ATEEZ_ , his maroon coat fluttering in the sea breeze. Around him, his crew bustled about, their boisterous voices singing out loud into the open sky.

_“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me…”_

They sailed across the peerless blue waves, slicing through the water with impossible speed. Hongjoong called out to weigh anchor, and the crew hurried to obey. There was a crash and a giggle as tiny pattering feet rushed about the main deck. San burst out from below decks yelling and chortling. “Daeyang! Get back here right this instant!”

Hongjoong grinned openly down at his little daughter, no more than three years old. Daeyang had her Appa’s inky black hair and blue-brown eyes, but her mischievous scheming mind was all her Dad’s. 

“No, Uncle Sannie! I don’ wanna!” she stuck her tongue out at her uncle, before giving a loud shriek as Mingi scooped her up from behind and blew a raspberry into her little pudgy tummy. Hongjoong laughed aloud at the display.

“Daddy! Help me, Uncle Min Min is tickling me!” she yelled between giggles.

“What’s this?” asked Mingi. He sounded offended, but anyone with ears knew it was only for show. “Daeyangie doesn’t wanna play with Uncle Min Min anymore? Then fine!” With that, the tall pirate tossed the child overboard and into the ocean.

There was a scream and a splash from below.

Unconcerned, Hongjoong made his way leisurely down to the main deck and leaned over the side. Below him was his wonderful husband and their beautiful daughter, both in their siren forms, Seonghwa’s scarlet tail beating the water in sure steady strokes as Daeyang’s misty blue tail splashed about wildly, sending up a spray of sparkling water droplets. The young siren’s tail was the exact same shade as the Idol’s Eye, but Hongjoong knew that his little jewel was infinitely more precious.

“Hongjoong, join us!” called Seonghwa, waving at his husband. Daeyang laughed and did a backflip through the water. “Yes, come play, Daddy!” Hongjoong pretended to think about it for a long moment. In that time, Jongho crept up behind his captain’s back. There was a rather unmanly yelp from Hongjoong as the ex-maknae of their crew shoved him over the side of the ship.

The pirate emerged spluttering, treading water with ease, but putting on a show for his giggling daughter, who thought her Dad was so silly for needing to _breathe air._ In response, Hongjoong splashed the tiny siren, accidentally getting Seonghwa when Daeyang ducked behind her Appa. There was a brief thought of _‘you’ve done it now,’_ from Seonghwa across their bond. Hongjoong barely had time to think _‘oh fuck,’_ before the two sirens stirred up a literal wave to send him whirling.

There were amused laughs from up above, and Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at the rest of his crew. “Is this a mutiny, Mr Choi?” San snorted, “As if!” Seonghwa smirked devilishly and the ship gave a great heave as the water underneath the vessel shifted suddenly. There was a flurry of surprised shouts as the crew members were thrown overboard.

Hongjoong looked around at his family. His brothers, his husband, his daughter. All laughing, splashing each other. Seonghwa swam off to the side, declaring that it was too unfair for him to participate in a water fight. Daeyang, of course, had no qualms. She flipped and weaved around her numerous uncles, drenching them as much as she could. What was originally a game of splashing quickly evolved into ‘catch Daeyang’. 

The pirate captain sighed as he felt Seonghwa wrap his muscular arms around him, helping to keep him afloat. The siren pressed a kiss to Hongjoong’s temple as the couple watched their daughter laugh and play.

“You know, when I was young I was afraid that humans were going to capture me and drag me away as well,” he murmured amusedly. “How times have changed.”

The pirate nodded and sent a flood of warmth across their bond. Seonghwa returned it in kind. Daeyang let out a happy shriek as Yunho finally managed to grab her in a firm but painless hold, and she wriggled around desperately to try and free herself to resume their game.

Hongjoong smiled. This. Right here. This was the greatest treasure any person could ever discover. And he wouldn’t trade it for any amount of silver or gold in the world.

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you've made it to the end. A bittersweet moment for sure 😭😄😭😄.
> 
> I bet none of you were expecting that ending! Daeyang (대양), according to the infalible source of Google Translate, means ocean. Because the ocean is Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s greatest treasure. You can decide if its an adoption or mpreg or whatever. All that matters is that they have an adorable baby siren! 
> 
> Once again, thank you thank you thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Love you all. Stay safe and stay healthy. Saranghae! 💙
> 
> EDIT: enjoy all the fantastic fanart by Scarlett Luna. Her insta and tumblr are in the endnotes of chapter 1 if you can't see the images on this ao3.
> 
> EDIT 2: as of October 2020, a full length sequel is in the works! I have no idea when I'll post it, but I just wanted y'all to know that this story is not over. Stay safe and stay healthy 💙


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